Despite claims from liberal media outlets that the FBI is in a “broken” state, Republican Senator Mike Rounds has stood by FBI Director Christopher Wray, calling him a “good man” and stating that he has “no complaints” about his job performance. This comes after President-elect Donald Trump announced his new pick for FBI director, former chief of staff to the secretary of defense, Kash Patel.
During an interview on ABC’s “This Week,” co-host Jonathan Karl questioned Senator Rounds on his initial reaction to Trump’s nomination. In response, Rounds pointed out that it is within the president’s rights to make a nomination and that it is normal for a president to want a loyalist on their team.
“I think the president picked a very good man to be the director of the FBI when he did that in his first term. When we meet with him behind closed doors, I’ve had no objections to the way that he’s handled himself,” Rounds stated.
This statement stands in contrast to the previous calls from Republican lawmakers, including all of the 2024 GOP presidential candidates except for former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, to fire Wray. However, Senator Rounds emphasized that the president has the right to make nominations, but that the Senate still goes through a process of advice and consent before confirming the nominee.
Rounds also addressed the report released by the House Judiciary Committee in 2022, which alleged that the FBI is “broken” under Wray’s leadership. He stated that the committee’s report does not reflect his personal opinion and reiterated his support for Wray.
Despite the criticisms directed at Wray over the years, including accusations of aiding in the slow-walking of investigations into Hunter Biden’s alleged unpaid taxes, Senator Rounds and other GOP lawmakers have continued to stand by the FBI director.
The liberal media has also targeted Patel, Trump’s new pick for FBI director, for his vocal criticism of the weaponization of the surveillance state. Patel has stated that he would shut down the FBI Hoover building and turn it into a museum of the “deep state,” calling for a focused effort on chasing down criminals.
The liberal media’s portrayal, Republican lawmakers view Patel as a strong candidate for the FBI director role and are confident in his ability to lead the agency.
As the confirmation process for Patel moves forward, the liberal media’s attempts to paint the FBI as “broken” under Wray’s leadership fall flat in the face of support from Republican lawmakers and the president’s own decision to nominate him for a 10-year term.
h/t: Steadfast and Loyal
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