(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan drew a rebuke from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., after she cast doubts about President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI, Kash Patel.
During a Sunday interview on CBS News’s Face the Nation, Graham reminded Brennan that her job is to report the news, not speculate on what Patel might do as FBI director.
Graham’s rebuke followed Brennan’s reference to former Attorney General Bill Barr’s past claims questioning Patel’s qualifications for a deputy FBI director role during Trump’s first term.
“Was Attorney General Barr wrong then and wrong now?” Brennan asked, after quoting Barr’s comments about Patel in his book.
“Yeah, he was wrong then and he’s wrong now,” Graham replied, prompting Brennan to shake her head in a blatant display of bias. “I take my advice on Kash Patel from Trey Gowdy, dear friend from South Carolina who worked with Kash.”
Graham praised Kash’s career as a public defender, prosecutor and congressional investigator who played a major role in exposing the Russian collusion hoax.
“I do think he has the experience,” Graham said of Patel. “He has the trust of the president. And we’ll see how this plays out. But Trey Gowdy is enthusiastically supporting Kash Patel and that means a lot to me.”
The exchange grew tense after Brennan sarcastically quipped, “Ask him about going after journalists which he has also said. I’m interested in the answer to that question.”
Graham swiftly shot back, “You should worry about reporting the news fairly which you don’t do when it comes to everything Trump.”
Brennan, seemingly unfazed, responded with her characteristic unprofessional sass, “Lindsey Graham, you are a guest on this program because we wanted to hear you out and we welcome you back as we often do, anytime to legacy media.”
Brennan’s line of questioning reflected dubious concerns from Democrats about Patel’s pledge to reform the FBI to address corruption and abolish partisan influence.
Trump hailed Patel’s qualifications in a Truth Social post announcing the nomination.
“Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People,” Trump wrote in November. “He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution.”
