By Samantha-Jo Roth | Washington Examiner
Senators on both sides of the aisle are preparing for the confirmation hearing for Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI, a critical test for the 44-year-old lawyer who is seen as one of the most controversial Cabinet nominees.
Patel will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Jan. 30. The MAGA loyalist will be in the hot seat and will be pressed on the more controversial elements of his background, such as his deeply polarizing views about gutting the agency he wants to lead and what critics call an “enemies list” of Patel’s opponents.
Prior to his nomination, Patel flirted with unproven conspiracy theories, including QAnon, made calls to shut down the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and made overstatements about his role in the Justice Department’s investigation of the Benghazi attack, as reported in the New York Times.