FILE - Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's choice to be director of the FBI, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Patel was confirmed Thursday afternoon in a narrow 51-49 vote in the Senate. He faced staunch opposition from Democrats who accused him of wanting to reform the FBI for the sake of political interests.
Rank-and-file agents, however, have expressed to Fox that they agree change is needed, but many are waiting to see how far Patel will go.
The FBI under the Biden administration's leadership has faced repeated scandals over the last four years.
Among those was when former FBI Director Christopher Wray faced backlash amid the attempted assassination against Trump when he appeared before the House Judiciary Committee and cast doubt on whether the president was struck by a bullet or just shrapnel.
THE 6 BIGGEST FBI SCANDALS UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., (left) got into a tense exchange with FBI DIrector Christopher Wray (right) over the FBI's infamous anti-Catholic memo during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Speaking at CPAC on Thursday night, Elon Musk said that he is hopeful Patel will get to the bottom of the assassination attempt, earning cheers from the crowd.
After being confirmed, Patel said that the "politicization of our justice system has eroded public trust—but that ends today."
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"American people deserve an FBI that is transparent, accountable, and committed to justice," Patel said. "Working alongside the dedicated men and women of the Bureau and our partners, we will rebuild an FBI the American people can be proud of. And to those who seek to harm Americans—consider this your warning. We will hunt you down in every corner of this planet. Mission First. America Always. Let’s get to work."
Patel will be sworn in as the ninth director of the FBI outside the Hoover Building at 4 p.m. on Friday. Vice President JD Vance is expected to be present for the swearing-in ceremony.
Fox News Digital politics reporter Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kash-patel-takes-reins-scandal-ridden-fbi-america-always-mindset