The Trump administration has told top officials at the FBI to resign or lose their jobs, Fox News has learned.
The exact number has not been disclosed, but the ultimatum was allegedly given to senior employees promoted under former director, Christopher A. Wray.
President Donald Trump’s administration took these steps as his nominee to lead the bureau, Kash Patel, said he would not begin his tenure with retribution or focus on past transgressions.
"I have no interest, no desire and will not, if confirmed, go backwards. There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken," Patel said at the Senate Judiciary Committee.
According to reporting from The New York Times, an email to colleagues from one of the senior agents outlined that he had learned he would be dismissed "from the rolls of the F.B.I." as soon as Monday morning.
"I was given no rationale for this decision, which, as you might imagine, has come as a shock," he wrote.
During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Patel said he is unaware of any plans of retribution by the Trump administration.
"Are you aware of any plans or discussions to punish in any way, including termination, FBI agents or personnel associated with Trump investigations?" asked Democratic Sen. Cory Booker.
Although Patel has been nominated, a director has not been officially confirmed to take charge, so the news of the ultimatum was alarming for those involved.
Until the vote comes to a close, Brian Driscoll remains the bureau’s acting director.
The FBI declined to comment when reached by Fox News.
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed two executive orders appointing a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) deputy administrator and ordering an immediate assessment of aviation safety.
The orders came after an American Airlines plane carrying 64 people and an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers crashed in midair at about 9 p.m. Wednesday.
The aircraft plummeted into the frigid Potomac River near Reagan National Airport, leaving 67 people presumed dead.
Rocheleau most recently served as National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) CEO and held multiple leadership roles at the FAA during his more than 20-year tenure, including director of the office of emergency operations and investigations.
The NBAA wrote in a statement it "welcomed" the announcement.
"Chris is an outstanding leader who will be good for the FAA, good for aviation and good for the country, especially at this challenging time," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "He has demonstrated excellence at every level in the government, military and aviation industry."
Trump called Rocheleau a "very capable guy" while signing the order.
A second executive order ordered an immediate assessment of aviation safety and an elevation of "competence" over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
While signing the order, he said former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama's DEI policies were "just crazy."
The memorandum says the Obama administration introduced a biographical questionnaire at the FAA to shift the hiring focus away from objective aptitude, and the Biden administration later encouraged the recruitment of people with "severe intellectual disabilities."
"During my first term, my Administration raised standards to achieve the highest standards of safety and excellence," Trump wrote in the memo. "The Biden Administration egregiously rejected merit-based hiring, requiring all executive departments and agencies to implement dangerous ‘diversity equity and inclusion’ tactics, and specifically recruiting individuals with ‘severe intellectual’ disabilities in the FAA."
While Trump ordered an immediate return to merit-based recruitment, hiring and promotion on his second day in office, he noted the recent plane crash "underscores the need to elevate safety and competence as the priority of the FAA."
Trump said Thursday the collision was a "confluence of bad decisions that were made, and you have people that lost their lives, violently lost their lives."
Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this story.
A former U.S. congressman, the Gainesville, Georgia native also serves as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
Collins was not expected to face a difficult confirmation fight and saw bipartisan support in his committee hearing, with the lone exception of Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, who voted against him.
If confirmed as VA secretary, Collins would be tasked with overseeing a beleaguered system of healthcare and benefits for the nation's veterans.
Long wait times to see providers, lack of access to community care, inadequate mental health support and budget shortfalls are just a few of many problems that have plagued secretaries past in both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson continued his attack on President Donald Trump on Wednesday, saying anyone questioning what the U.S. would look like had the Confederacy won, should have no question at this point under his administration.
A reporter asked Johnson during a press conference on Wednesday if he planned to go to Washington, D.C. to testify about sanctuary cities as the Trump administration continues to conduct operations targeting criminal illegal aliens.
House Republicans, including U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Tenn., chair of the GOP-controlled House Committee on Oversight and Reform, called on sanctuary city mayors to testify next month about the policy’s impact on public safety and the refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
This oversight committee, of all the things that they want to have sight over, they should look at the White House right now," Johnson said. "That White House is being ran in one of the most raggedy forms of government that I've ever seen. If anybody is questioning whether or not what our country would look like had the Confederacy won, there should be no question now. They want us to be afraid. Do not be afraid, Chicago."
The mayor said he will not be intimidated by an individual who refuses to stand up to another individual who believes "he’s a supreme being."
Johnson also accused Trump of rejecting the U.S. Constitution by carrying out his responsibilities.
"If they want to have a real discussion about undocumented individuals who are criminals, they should look at the very individuals who enslaved my people and colonized this land," Johnson said.
Earlier in the press conference, another reporter asked the mayor if he had toned down rhetoric about relitigating the civil war.
"I still believe that there are people who have not accepted the results of the Civil War, and here’s the thing: I said that before this administration took office," Johnson said. "Unfortunately, I’m right. I mean, you have an entire administration that is looking to take away federal protections for the people who are most vulnerable.
"So, no, my position has not changed," he added.
The mayor’s statement comes more than a week after he doubled down on a vow to oppose Trump’s sweeping reform aimed at removing dangerous illegal immigrants accused of crimes from the U.S. once he returns to the Oval Office.
On day one of his second term, Trump issued ten executive orders aimed at overhauling U.S. immigration law and policy, and since then, armed federal immigration agents have swept cities in the first deportation raids.
In a letter, Comer, Johnson and other mayors of sanctuary cities, to provide documents and information related to the sanctuary policies of each city.
Sanctuary cities limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. Supporters argue that enforcement of immigration is the job of the federal government.
Opponents say sanctuary policies harbor criminals, as well as those in the country illegally, and put the public, including legal and illegal immigrants, at risk.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
The Senate Thursday evening advanced President Donald Trump's nominee to head the Department of Energy to a final confirmation vote.
The vote was 62-35.
Chris Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy Inc., an energy industry service provider based in Colorado, was tapped by the 47th president to head the Department of Energy under his administration.
The Trump nominee has received bipartisan support for his nomination, being introduced by a Democrat, Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, during his confirmation hearing with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee this month.
The Senate held a late-night cloture vote for Wright, to end discussion over his nomination.
The cloture vote passed with bipartisan support, meaning Wright will advance to a final Senate vote, likely to take place on Friday.
Wright, during his confirmation hearing, said he had identified three "immediate tasks" where he would focus his attention: unleashing American energy, leading the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs and increasing production in America.
The top Republican on the Senate's chief health committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., indicated Thursday during Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s second confirmation hearing of the week that his vote for Trump's nominee to head Health and Human Services was not a lock, noting that he was "struggling" to confirm Kennedy over his inability to admit vaccines are safe and don't cause autism.
Kennedy faced two separate hearings in front of Senate lawmakers this week in his bid to be the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy was probed frequently over his views on vaccines, which have been a sticking point for many senators as they figure out whether to vote in favor of Kennedy's nomination, or not.
During the hearings, Kennedy refused to reject claims he has posited publicly in the past that vaccines cause autism and argued he is not anti-vaccine but rather "pro-safety." Kennedy added during the hearings that his plan as HHS Secretary would be to "follow the science," noting that if the science says he is wrong on vaccines, he will publicly apologize.
But senators, like Cassidy, have suggested during Kennedy's confirmation hearings that the science says vaccines are safe – and they don't cause autism.
"My responsibility is to learn, try and determine, if you can be trusted to support the best public health," Cassidy, a former physician, said during his closing remarks at Kennedy's Thursday confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). "A worthy movement called ‘MAHA,’" Cassidy continued, "to improve the health of Americans, or to undermine it, always asking for more evidence, and never accepting the evidence that is there … That is why I've been struggling with your nomination."
Cassidy repeatedly asked Kennedy during the Thursday hearing to publicly declare that vaccines don't cause autism, but Kennedy refused. "That would have an incredible impact," Cassidy said.
"There are issues we are, man, ultra-processed food, obesity, we are simpatico. We are completely aligned," Cassidy continued during his closing remarks. "And as someone who has discussed immunizations with thousands of people, I understand that mothers want reassurance that the vaccine their child is receiving is necessary, safe and effective. We agree on that point, the two of us, but we've approached it differently. And I think I can say that I've approached it using the preponderance of evidence to reassure, and you've approached it using selective evidence to cast doubt."
Meanwhile, Cassidy pointed out the massive "megaphone" Kennedy has as a descendant of former President John F. Kennedy, and questioned whether he will use his credibility "to support" or "to undermine" the nation's public health and its confidence in vaccines.
A clash on Thursday between Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Kash Patel, the nominee for FBI director, set social media ablaze when conservatives ripped into the new California senator after what they saw as a win for the Trump nominee.
Schiff, in his line of questioning at Patel’s confirmation hearing, began by asking Patel whether he stood by prior testimony that he had nothing to do with the recording of a song about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot inmates.
"[That] is interesting, because here's what you told Steve Bannon on his podcast: ‘So, what we thought would be cool is if we captured that audio and then, of course, had the greatest president, President Donald J. Trump, recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we went to a studio and recorded it, mastered it, digitized it, and put it out as a song.'"
The two quibbled over the meaning of "we" and whether it included Patel.
"Yeah, and you’re part of that ‘we’ — right — when you say ‘we,’ that includes you, Mr. Patel," Schiff said.
"Not in every instance." Patel said, adding he had not personally participated in the recording or mastering of the single.
Schiff responded, "Well, that's new. So, when you said ‘we,' you didn't really mean you. Is that your testimony?"
"Not unless you have a new definition for the word ‘we,'" Patel said.
In Thursday’s hearing, however, Patel said he was using the word "we" appropriately, while Schiff said he had "promoted the hell out of it," referencing the inmates’ single.
"I don't know what that means, but I promoted the heck out of raising money for families in need," Patel shot back.
In another exchange, Schiff asked Patel if an FBI director promoted a song about people who sprayed pepper spray in the face of an FBI agent, "would you say they were fit to be director?"
"I am fit to be the director of the FBI," Patel said.
Supporters of the Trump administration hammered Schiff and praised Patel over the exchanges.
"California’s Senator @SenAdamSchiff screams and screeches about the January 6th choir during Kash’s confirmation - and completely misses an opportunity to represent commonsense Californians," former DNI Director Richard Grenell posted on X. "We want representatives who don’t lie. Who don’t miss the big picture. Schiff is partisan and petty."
National Review contributor Pradheep Shanker said "any committee that [Sen. Mazie] Hirono, Schiff or [Sen. Sheldon] Whitehouse is on is one where Democrats completely lose all credibility."
"I honestly thought Bernie Sanders yelling at RFK Jr. about onesies was going to be the craziest thing from the hearings this week," Daily Signal columnist Tony Kinnett said. "Then I watched Adam Schiff yelling at Kash Patel for 5 minutes about song remixes. Good Lord."
"Schiff can’t be trusted to serve on committees," Judicial Watch Chairman Tom Fitton said.
Schiff argued he had won the exchange.
"Kash Patel raised money for January 6 insurrectionists who attacked law enforcement. I asked him to look those officers in the eye and tell them he was proud of what he did. He couldn't," Schiff wrote on X.
It was one of a number of fiery exchanges during the hearing. Democrats quizzed Patel about his record, including statements he had made in his book, "Government Gangsters."
"If the best attacks on me are going to be false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations, the only thing this body is doing is defeating the credibility of the men and women at the FBI," he said.
"I stood with them here in this country, in every theater of war we have. I was on the ground in service of this nation. And any accusations leveled against me that I would somehow put political bias before the Constitution are grotesquely unfair."
Conservatives on social media praised Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director, after a thorny exchange with Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar during his confirmation hearing Thursday.
"That's a general statement and a mischaracterization of what I said," Patel told Klobuchar in response to questioning about a past quote that the senator suggested showed Patel believes some U.S. Capitol Police officers lied under oath during the Jan. 6 hearings.
"I encourage you to read the rest of the interviews," Patel added. "This is why snippets of information are often misleading and detrimental to this committee's advice and consent."
Klobuchar responded, "If you consent, I would love to have five hours of questions, and then I could read the whole transcripts."
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust will hold a hearing next week addressing overregulation in California following the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, stating California’s "onerous regulatory regime" may have worsened the disaster, Fox News Digital has learned.
The "California Fires and the Consequences of Overregulation" hearing will examine the real impacts of regulatory policy on the prevention of natural disasters, particularly in the case of California's wildfires, according to a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.
It will also address how excessive regulation on insurance and permitting serves as a roadblock to those recovering from disasters.
Cal Fire reported more than 12,000 homes, businesses and schools were lost to the fires and more than 100,000 people have had to leave their homes.
Jordan added that California needs a streamlined process, as suggested by President Donald Trump, to remove regulation and ensure citizens can rebuild and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said the wildfires were a preventable tragedy, and Congress must examine whether California’s "onerous regulatory regime" worsened the disaster.
"For years, California’s liberal government has prioritized environmental activism over effective forest management and disaster mitigation. Meanwhile, the politicization of their state insurance regulator has driven insurers out of the state and forced taxpayers to foot the bill," Fitzgerald said.
Witnesses will include Steve Hilton, founder of Golden Together; Steven Greenhut, resident senior fellow and western region director of state affairs for the R Street Institute; and Edward Ring, director of water and energy policy for the California Policy Center, according to the statement.
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
Here's what's happening…
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President Donald Trump set his sights on DEI standards at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday after a deadly in-air collision at the nation's capital.
Trump, speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room, highlighted efforts by the Biden administration to lower aviation standards, though he acknowledged that the cause of Wednesday night's crash has yet to be determined.
"We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system," Trump said. "Only the highest aptitude — you have to be the highest intellect — and psychologically superior people, were allowed to qualify for air traffic controllers."…Read more
KICKED OUT: Israel orders UNRWA to cease operations in country over terror ties: 'miserably failed in its mandate'…Read more
EMOTIONAL RETURN: Moment IDF soldier is reunited with family seen on video…Read more
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HELD UP: Netanyahu furious about chaotic handover of Israeli hostages from Hamas…Read more
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BACK FOR MORE: Trump HHS nominee RFK Jr returns to Capitol Hill for round 2 after heated first day of hearings…Read more
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'FAKE CHRISTIAN': First-term House Dem attacks WH press secretary Karoline Leavitt as 'Fake Christian'…Read more
CLOCK IS TICKING: Bipartisan senators target fentanyl classification as lapse approaches…Read more
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'VERY TROUBLING': Top Senate Intelligence Dem grills Gabbard if Edward Snowden is 'brave': 'very troubling'…Read more
DH-YES: Senate confirms Kristi Noem as Trump’s Department of Homeland Security secretary…Read more
'COUNT ON THAT': Senate set for confirmation vote on Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department…Read more
FREEZING FUNDS: Risch proposes bill to block US foreign aid from funding abortions…Read more
HAT IN THE RING: Former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers considering GOP Senate run…Read more
CLOSING THE CABINET: Where Trump's Cabinet nominees stand in Senate confirmation process…Read more
'GROTESQUE': Patel hammers ‘grotesque mischaracterizations’ from Dems amid fiery FBI confirmation hearing…Read more
IN THE HOT SEAT: Gabbard sheds light on Assad visit, expresses shock intelligence community showed no interest at the time…Read more
'UNPRECEDENTED' SITUATION: Los Angeles fire cleanup complicated by 'unprecedented' number of EVs with combustible lithium-ion batteries…Read more
CRASH TIMELINE: DC plane crash timeline: Midair collision involves 67 passengers, crew members, soldiers…Read more
‘PERSONAL ATTACKS’: Anti-Israel groups spray paint Columbia University building, 'cemented' sewage system…Read more
'INAPPROPRIATE' RISK: Army sec nominee questions whether military pilots should train near DC airport…Read more
PREVENTED: Gabbard says 9/11 likely could have been prevented if not for intelligence 'stovepiping'…Read more
'JUST DEVASTATED': Miracle on the Hudson's Capt. Sully reacts to deadly DC aircraft collision…Read more
Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
EXCLUSIVE: The top Republican on the House Transportation Committee’s subcommittee on aviation is calling for a congressional hearing into the deadly collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C.
"We say we are the gold standard, we just need to continue to maintain that level," Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who chairs the subcommittee, told Fox News Digital in an interview.
"I just want to sit down with all of them and, when the [National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)] does its report – make sure that it’s very accurate, it’s factual, and that they come up with some recommendations – and then we’ll have to see if we need to change direction or change course based upon those recommendations. But we don’t know yet."
Nehls praised Transportation Committee Chairman Sam Graves, noting his background as a pilot, and said he would be asking the Missouri Republican to convene meetings with the affected parties and those investigating the incident. Nehls suggested potential closed-door meetings to enable more candid discussions but said a public hearing would also be in order.
"We have to find out the reason for the crash and then come up with, you know, recommendations to make sure it doesn’t happen again," he said. "We don’t need to be sitting on this. I don’t want to hear, ‘It’s going to take 18 months.’ I don’t want to hear that."
And it appears federal investigators are on that same page.
NTSB officials said they hope to have a preliminary report out in about 30 days.
"I think that would be fair," Nehls said. "But that shouldn't stop Congress looking into this and doing what we can to help. I think President Trump… expects it, and he has a right to expect it from us, to make sure that we keep our aviation industry the standard for the world."
And while he is hoping for quick results, Nehls emphatically cautioned against any early speculation about who or what is to blame for the tragedy.
"Everybody wants to speculate as to how did this happen, why this happened. Whose fault is that? Is it the helicopter? Was it the airplane?" Nehls said.
"I think that is irresponsible. I think you just need to give it time for the NTSB to investigate, you know, conduct a very thorough investigation."
Finger-pointing and speculation have already run rampant, however. Some have blamed Congress for authorizing too many new airline contracts at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which is closer to the U.S. Capitol than the much larger Washington-Dulles International Airport.
"I think it’s too early for all of that," Nehls said when asked about both.
No evidence has come out to support any conclusion or cause of the crash so far.
Nehls spoke with Fox News Digital the day after a Black Hawk helicopter carrying three service members crashed into a passenger plane heading from Wichita, Kansas, which was moments away from landing at Reagan National Airport.
Both aircraft were seen plummeting into the Potomac River between Washington and neighboring Arlington, Virginia, where the airport is located.
U.S. officials have said there are no survivors, and recovery efforts are still underway.
Fox News Digital reached out to the House Transportation Committee for comment.
American Airlines has said 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the plane, and the airline encouraged any loved ones looking for information to call the numbers on its site.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched an investigation into media outlets PBS and National Public Radio (NPR) over member stations potentially airing "prohibited commercial advertisements," according to a letter obtained by The New York Times.
"I am concerned that NPR and PBS broadcasts could be violating federal law by airing commercials," FCC chair Brendan Carr wrote, according to the Times. "In particular, it is possible that NPR and PBS member stations are broadcasting underwriting announcements that cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements."
The FCC allows businesses to support noncommercial radio and television stations — such as NPR, PBS or college radio stations — via on-air announcements known as underwriting sponsorships. The sponsorships, though similar to advertisements, face different FCC rules than typical TV or radio ads.
Carr sent the letters Wednesday to NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger, according to the Times. He has been a member of the FCC since 2017, and was appointed by President Donald Trump to serve as the commission's chair under his second administration.
Carr continued in his letter that he will alert Congress to the investigation, noting that lawmakers already are weighing whether NPR and PBS should receive taxpayer funds.
"In particular, Congress is actively considering whether to stop requiring taxpayers to subsidize NPR and PBS programming," he wrote, according to the Times.
"To the extent that these taxpayer dollars are being used to support a for profit endeavor or an entity that is airing commercial advertisements, then that would further undermine any case for continuing to fund NPR and PBS with taxpayer dollars," he continued.
Fox News Digital reached out to the FCC regarding the letter and the Times' report, but did not immediately receive a response.
NPR chief Maher said in response to the letter that NPR's sponsorship practices "complies with federal regulations."
"NPR programming and underwriting messaging complies with federal regulations, including the FCC guidelines on underwriting messages for noncommercial educational broadcasters, and Member stations are expected to be in compliance as well," Maher said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Thursday.
"We are confident any review of our programming and underwriting practices will confirm NPR’s adherence to these rules," Maher said. "We have worked for decades with the FCC in support of noncommercial educational broadcasters who provide essential information, educational programming, and emergency alerts to local communities across the United States."
PBS told Times it is proud of its "noncommercial educational programming," and worked "diligently to comply with the F.C.C.’s underwriting regulations."
NPR and PBS are both public broadcasting organizations, and both are bracing to potentially lose public funding under the Trump administration.
"NO MORE FUNDING FOR NPR, A TOTAL SCAM!" Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social in April 2024, potentially previewing their fate under his second administration. "THEY ARE A LIBERAL DISINFORMATION MACHINE. NOT ONE DOLLAR!!!"
Republican members of Congress also have introduced bills that would defund the public broadcasting organizations, such as Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy and Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry introducing the No Propaganda Act in December 2024.
"The American Taxpayer is footing the bill for a woke media corporation that pretends to be impartial while pushing Chinese propaganda," Perry said when introducing the legislation. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting "cannot be allowed to keep using your hard-earned tax dollars to push a biased and political agenda that goes against what’s best for Americans."
Carr's name recognition grew large right ahead of the Nov. 5, 2024, election, when he lambasted NBC's decision to host former Vice President Kamala Harris on "Saturday Night Live" in the final episode ahead of Election Day, but did not offer equal time to Trump or other candidates in the presidential cycle.
The FCC’s equal-time rule was established in 1934, and requires radio and television broadcast stations to provide the same amount of time for competing political candidates. There are exceptions to the rule, such as newscasts, documentaries and political debates.
"NBC has structured this in a way that's plainly designed to evade the FCC's rules. We're talking 50 hours before Election Day starts, without any notice to other candidates, as far as I can tell," Carr told Fox News Digital at the time. "And after previously coming out and saying they weren't going to do this precisely because they did not believe that they could do this consistent with election laws and the FCC's equal time rule."
NBC ultimately filed an equal time notice amid outrage over Harris' appearance.
Trump appointed Carr to lead the FCC shortly after his November 2024 election win, with Carr taking the helm of the commission in January. Carr was first nominated to the commission by Trump during his first administration, and served as the senior Republican member of the FCC until his appointment as chair.
"Commissioner Carr is a warrior for Free Speech, and has fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled Americans’ Freedoms, and held back our Economy," Trump said in a statement about the appointment. "He will end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America’s Job Creators and Innovators, and ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America."
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., grilled Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the FBI, over Patel’s pro-gun stances.
Asked by Padilla if Patel believes background checks on firearm purchases are constitutional during the nominee’s confirmation hearing Thursday, Patel responded that he didn’t know "the in-depths of it," but believed "that’s what the Supreme Court said."
"Do you think civilian ownership of machine guns is protected by the Second Amendment?" Padilla fired back.
"Whatever the courts rule in regards to the Second Amendment is what is protected by the Second Amendment," Patel responded.
Padilla explained that his line of questioning was due to an "association" between Patel and the group Gun owners of America, which enthusiastically endorsed Trump’s choice to lead the FBI.
"GOA Applauds Nomination of ‘Fiercely Pro-Gun’ Kash Patel for FBI Director," the organization said in a press relief following Trump’s announcement to tap Patel.
Padilla expressed concern over the enthusiastic endorsement, arguing that the organization has taken "extreme positions" on guns.
"Gun Owners of America has taken extreme positions, including the position that all background checks are unconstitutional and that civilian ownership of machine guns is protected under the Second Amendment," Padilla said.
Padilla then argued that Patel would be responsible for overseeing some of the country’s most critical gun regulations at the FBI, expressing concern that Trump’s nominee was not up to the task.
"Let me remind you that as FBI director you will oversee critical responsibilities related to firearm regulation, you’re administering the national instant criminal background check system. Yes, it’s constitutional, it’s in place, for a reason! You would also regulate the distribution of machine guns to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Policies and programs in place for a reason," Padilla said.
"Given your hesitancy, given your answers, I am concerned about your ability to do the job when it’s not in alignment with views like Gun Owners of America."
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