When you closed your eyes, you may’ve thought Kash Patel was within the witness chair.
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats spent Wednesday pummeling President-elect Donald Trump’s decide to turn into FBI director at a affirmation listening to for his potential boss: legal professional basic nominee Pam Bondi.
Rating member Dick Durbin of Illinois raised Patel’s commentary about QAnon conspiracy theories. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota fearful about Patel’s feedback about focusing on the media. A number of Democratic senators expressed concern about his purported “enemies list” of individuals he believes ought to be investigated or prosecuted.
All of it amounted to indicators that Democrats view Patel — a polarizing MAGA loyalist who served in Trump’s first administration— as a neater goal than Bondi, who appears to be on a glide path to affirmation.
Democrats have extensively conceded they’ll save their vitality combating different of Trump’s extra controversial nominees than they’ll Bondi, who they seem to think about certified as a former Florida legal professional basic. Some Democrats even thanked the nominee for productive conversations about bipartisan points, similar to combating fentanyl habit and human trafficking.
“If they’re asking about Kash Patel, it must be going pretty well,” quipped Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
The fixation on Patel by Democrats grew to become clear early in Bondi’s affirmation listening to and remained constant all through her almost 6 hours in entrance of the Judiciary Committee.
“My concern, on the basis of statements that President-elect Trump has made, is that he does identify people as political enemies … and there may come a day where there is pressure on you,” mentioned Vermont Sen. Peter Welch. “I’m just going to express my hope that … when it comes to the constitution or pressure from a higher official, you’re going to choose the constitution.”
Bondi gave a full-throated endorsement of Patel, arguing he was the “right person” for the job and well-qualified. She additionally declined to defend or criticize his previous statements, saying she was unfamiliar with them and would let him converse to them at his personal affirmation listening to.
“I don’t believe he has an enemies list. He made a quote on TV that I have not heard,” Bondi mentioned, deftly avoiding dialogue of a e-book Patel wrote containing an extended record of “Government Gangsters.”
At occasions, Bondi sought to remind the committee, gingerly, that she could be Patel’s superior. “Mr. Patel would fall under me and the Department of Justice and I will ensure that all laws are followed — and so will he.”
When Durbin raised Patel’s settlement with features of QAnon’s agenda, Bondi appeared to specific reduction that he would quickly be within the scorching seat as an alternative of her.
“I look forward to hearing his testimony about QAnon in front of this committee,” Bondi mentioned.
Bondi, a pal and ally of Trump for years, served as Trump’s lawyer throughout his first impeachment trial and assisted Rudy Guiliani in efforts to dam Joe Biden’s Pennsylvania win within the 2020 election. Democratic Senators pressed Bondi on whether or not she believed Biden gained that election, a query she repeatedly sidestepped. Bondi additionally declined to reply whether or not she would prosecute Jack Smith, the particular prosecutor overseeing investigations into Trump, although she repeatedly emphasised she could be guided by info, not politics.
In her remarks, Bondi vowed the Division of Justice wouldn’t pursue political investigations, regardless of Trump’s repeated requires a few of his staunchest adversaries to face prosecution.
“The partisanship, the weaponization will be gone,” Bondi mentioned. “America must have one tier of justice for all.”
On the identical time, Bondi tangled with a few of Trump’s harshest critics on the committee. Her combativeness typically crossed strains that pending nominees hardly ever cross, similar to when she talked about California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff’s censure by the Home for his dealing with of Trump-related investigations.
Schiff, a longtime consultant, was elected to the Senate final 12 months and is now serving on the Judiciary Committee.
When Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse went over his allotted time, Bondi joked that she’d like that point taken away from considered one of her hardest interlocutors. “Can we take a minute off Sen. Schiff?” she requested, puzzling Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley, the Senate Judiciary Chair, who didn’t instantly decide up on the joke.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut mentioned Bondi gave the impression to be making an attempt to keep away from saying something that may provoke Trump, which typically difficult her means to reply easy questions.
“She very artfully dodged questions about whether Pres. Trump lost the 2020 election, which clearly is designed for an audience of one–that’s Donald Trump,” Blumenthal informed reporters towards the top of Wednesday’s listening to. “He knows she’s here. She knows he’s watching. And I think that audience is clearly a presence in the room.”
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