(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., offered a head-scratching argument on Sunday for why the Senate should reject President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel as the next FBI director.
Speaking with NBC News’s Kristen Welker on Meet the Press, Schiff claimed the New Orleans terrorist attack, which left 14 people dead, underscored the need for what he described as an experienced candidate for the FBI.
Schiff’s logic made little sense as the Wednesday attack happened under President Joe Biden and FBI Director Chris Wray’s leadership.
“Kash Patel should not be confirmed,” Schiff claimed. “I think the terrorist attack in New Orleans—and my heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones in that attack—just underscores the importance of having someone directing the FBI that has experience, that has judgment, that has character, that will prioritize defending the country against the violence we saw in New Orleans or the violence we saw on January 6th.”
Schiff—who for years weaponized the House Intelligence Committee to undermine the Trump administration—accused Patel of prioritizing “political vendettas” and believing “deep state conspiracy theories.” Schiff was also the leading voice behind the false Trump-Russian collusion hoax.
“Kash Patel is an easy one. He should not be confirmed,” Schiff continued. “The others? Look, Marco Rubio, I think is well qualified and several of the other nominees, again, we should follow the regular process that the majority leader has laid out, but that one should be an easy one.”
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) cheers New York's justice system, laments that the weaponized prosecutions against Donald Trump yielded no jail time. pic.twitter.com/ddPQbgnjNP
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) January 5, 2025
Schiff’s comments conveniently omitted Wray’s current leadership that failed to prevent the New Orleans terrorist attack. Shamsud-Din Jabbar allegedly drove his vehicle into a New Year’s celebration crowd in New Orleans’s French Quarter, leaving 14 dead and dozens critically injured.
Wray has been FBI director since 2017 and is planning to step down before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025.
Schiff mourned Wray’s departure in a post on X, claiming he was “grateful” for Wray’s service to the FBI and the country.
“All the more disappointed it was necessitated by an incoming president’s desire to prioritize an unqualified conspiracy theorist over an experienced professional,” Schiff added.
Grateful to Director Wray for his years of service to the FBI and country, and very sorry to see him step down.
All the more disappointed it was necessitated by an incoming president’s desire to prioritize an unqualified conspiracy theorist over an experienced professional.
— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) December 11, 2024
