GOP’s Blackburn Reveals Why Schiff, Dems Fear Kash Patel As FBI Director
During an interview with Fox News, Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn stated that one of the main reasons Democrats, including California Sen. Adam Schiff, "fear" Kash Patel leading the FBI is because he is aware of their involvement in pushing the "Russian collusion" narrative during President Donald Trump’s first term.
"I think, too, they are very fearful of Kash Patel because Kash Patel knows what Adam Schiff and some of the others did with Russia collusion, and they know that he — knows the dirt on them, if you will, and I think they’re fearful of what he’s going to do and what he’s going to reveal and what he’s going to make known to the American people," Blackburn told host Charlie Hurt.
In response, Hurt noted, "And they recognize that one thing Kash Patel is very devoted to is bringing transparency to what’s going on in Washington," a remark that Blackburn strongly agreed with.
Hurt then asked, "So to what degree with RFK Jr., like Tulsi Gabbard, do you think Democrats might hold it against them? Because I think you’re right. I think that one of the things that really, really enraging them is that these are former Democrats, and they feel like they have to — I think it just drives them crazy and makes them so mad that these are Democrats who found a way to work on common sense solutions with President Trump."
Blackburn concurred, saying, "You’re exactly right about that. It does make them angry, and so they’re wanting to punish them, and the way they can punish them is to withhold their vote or to slow down their nomination. RFK Jr. is going to do a great job at HHS and I tell you one thing.
"He is going to help us find these 300,000 children. I’ve been trying to find these kids since it was 75,000, and the Biden Administration has never responded to where these children are. RFK is going to get in there. He’s going to rework CMS with Dr. [Mehmet] Oz. He is going to work with [Dr.] Marty Makary to straighten out the FDA. He’s going to work with Dr. [Jay] Bhattacharyaat NIH," Blackburn stated.
She further added, "You’re going to see transparency. People want to know what really happened with COVID. I think we’re going to be able to find out what happened."
As noted by the Consortium of Social Science Associations, "Notably, Bhattacharya was a critic of the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and was the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case, Murthy v. Missouri, where he argued that he was ‘unfairly censored’ on social media by the government for his views on the issue."
"While the case gained national attention, it was ultimately unsuccessful in a 6-3 ruling," the organization also highlighted.
Regarding his choice for the NIH nominee, Trump stated, "Dr. Bhattacharya will work in cooperation with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to direct the Nation’s Medical Research, and to make important discoveries that will improve Health, and save lives."
Patel, a former federal prosecutor, was appointed as senior counsel on counterterrorism for the House Select Committee on Intelligence in 2017. Later, in 2019, he became senior director of the Counterterrorism Directorate at the U.S. National Security Council.
Before that, Patel worked closely with then-Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) while Nunes chaired the House Intelligence Committee. In that role, he was instrumental in aiding Republican-led investigations into Trump and the allegations regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.
A key figure in drafting the 2018 Nunes memo, Patel was at the forefront of accusing the FBI of misconduct in how it sought a surveillance warrant on a 2016 Trump campaign aide.