Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) on CNN's 'The Lead,' defended the nomination of Kash Patel for FBI Director and criticzed the FBI's politicization under Christopher Wray: "What he was doing is exposing what he felt like was truth,

Two high-profile Republicans, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, notably voted against his confirmation. Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader, who announced Thursday he will not be seeking re-election in 2026, voted in favor of Patel's nomination, which came as a surprise to many.

Patel is a controversial nominee, having long raged against the so-called Deep State and prioritized his loyalty to Trump.