Kash Patel was the focus of intense questioning during Pam Bondi’s confirmation hearing, raising concerns among Senate Democrats.
Washington: So, there was this big hearing where Kash Patel was really in the spotlight. You could almost feel the tension in the room. Senate Democrats were throwing tough questions at him while Pam Bondi, the attorney general nominee, sat there.
It was like they were using Patel as a punching bag. They brought up his past comments about QAnon and how he seems to have this list of people he thinks should be investigated. It was clear they saw him as an easier target than Bondi, who they think is pretty qualified for the job.
Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, got some praise from Democrats for her views on issues like fentanyl addiction. But they were really focused on Patel. Even Senator Lindsey Graham joked that if they were asking about Patel, things must be going well for Bondi.
Throughout the nearly six-hour hearing, the Democrats kept circling back to Patel. They were worried about how Trump views political enemies and whether Bondi would stand up for the Constitution if pressured. Bondi defended Patel, saying he was the right person for the job, but she didn’t want to get into his past comments.
She tried to remind everyone that she would be in charge of Patel, saying they would follow the law. But when the topic of QAnon came up, she seemed relieved that Patel would have to answer those questions himself soon.
Bondi has been close to Trump for years, even serving as his lawyer during his first impeachment. When asked if she believed Biden won the 2020 election, she dodged the question. She also wouldn’t say if she would go after Jack Smith, the special prosecutor looking into Trump.
She promised that the Department of Justice wouldn’t be used for political purposes, despite Trump’s calls for investigations into his opponents. Bondi insisted that there would be one standard of justice for everyone.
But she didn’t hold back when it came to some of Trump’s critics. She made some sharp comments that nominees usually avoid, like mentioning Senator Adam Schiff’s censure. It was a bit of a surprise to see her go there.
At one point, she even joked about taking time away from Schiff during the hearing, which left some people confused. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal pointed out that Bondi seemed to be trying hard not to upset Trump, which made her answers a bit tricky at times.
In the end, it was clear that the hearing was as much about Patel as it was about Bondi, and the dynamics in the room were pretty telling.
