On February 21, 2025, Dan Scavino, Assistant to the President and White House Deputy Chief of Staff, announced that President Donald Trump has officially signed the commission confirming Kash Patel as the ninth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This confirmation follows a narrow Senate vote of 51-49, where all Senate Democrats opposed Patel's nomination, alongside Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, who also voted against him.

The Senate confirmed Kash Patel as the Director of the FBI in a narrow 51-49 vote, placing him at the head of the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency. Patel's confirmation marks him as the first Indian-origin FBI Director. President Donald Trump signed the commission to confirm Kash Patel as the ninth Director of the FBI. The White House has welcomed the confirmation, calling it a crucial step in executing President Trump's agenda to restore integrity and uphold the rule of law.


Two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, broke with their party to vote against Patel's confirmation. Every Senate Democrat voted against the confirmation.

Sharing a post on X, the White House wrote, "@FBIDirectorKash Patel's confirmation as FBI Director is a crucial step in executing President Trump's agenda to restore integrity and uphold the rule of law."

Patel, a Trump loyalist, has been critical of the FBI in the past. Prior to his nomination, he stated his desire to "come after" anti-Trump "conspirators" in the federal government and the media, which has raised concerns among Democrats. Republicans, however, believe Patel is the right person for the job, expressing the view that he will make the FBI accountable.

Patel has expressed his intention to implement major changes within the FBI, including reducing the footprint of the headquarters in Washington and refocusing on traditional crime-fighting duties.

Following his confirmation, Patel expressed his gratitude and vowed to rebuild the agency into one that is "transparent, accountable, and committed to justice". He also thanked President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi for their support and emphasised his commitment to restoring public trust in the FBI.

While the nomination faced opposition from Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, Patel received backing from the rest of the Republican Party, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had previously opposed other Trump nominees, according to NBC News.

The confirmation passed with a narrow 51-49 vote, as all Senate Democrats voted against him.

ANI