Tillis is going all in on Patel after waiting until the last minute to support Hegseth. (Getty Images)
The senator will also distribute several versions of a Patel-themed bingo game to his colleagues on the committee.
The "K$H Bingo" game includes subjects Tillis expects to be brought up by Democrats during the hearing. The sheet includes subjects such as "Deep State," "Enemies List" and section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), among others.
Patel has been meeting with senators on Capitol Hill. (Getty Images)
"We know what they're going to do. And I want to make it clear to them there's no Perry Mason moment," the North Carolina senator said. "I'm not going to let innuendo and rumors rule the day. I'm going to hold them accountable."
Tillis' hard push for Patel to be advanced and confirmed by the Senate comes just days after Hegseth's confirmation came down to his vote, which wasn't at all assured to be in Hegseth's favor.
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It wasn't until several minutes before the Hegseth vote that Tillis released a statement revealing he would support Hegseth. He previously told reporters he was still doing due diligence after new allegations surfaced against the nominee.
Hegseth's former sister-in-law had claimed in an affidavit that Hegseth abused alcohol and made his ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, fear for her safety. Tillis told reporters only hours before the confirmation vote he was looking for any corroborating evidence regarding the allegations.
Tillis waited until the last minute to share his stance on Hegseth. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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"I take it very seriously," he reiterated. "I did with Pete. I ultimately voted for him and had to dispose of the allegations or assess the allegations that came at the eleventh hour."
The North Carolina Republican also shared that he thinks his support will be beneficial for Patel.
"I believe I've established — even though I can be a pain to some people — as tedious as I can get with completing my due diligence. I think that it brings with it a certain amount of credibility, and that's why it's so important to me. I have to be consistent," Tillis said.
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia's reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/scoop-key-gop-senator-who-hesitated-pete-hegseth-pushes-kash-patel-fbi