On Thursday, FBI director-designate Kash Patel and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) put the responsibility for January 6th on the laps of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. Patel, the former chief of staff at the Department of Defense, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a confirmation hearing.
During the hearing, Sen. Cruz questioned Patel about the events surrounding January 6th and the security measures—or lack thereof—that were put in place ahead of time.
Patel made it clear that the Department of Defense had worked days in advance to prepare National Guard troops to protect the Capitol, but requests for additional assistance were denied by key officials, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
“Who did the Sergeant at Arms report to?” Cruz asked.
“The Speaker of the House,” Patel replied.
“That would have been Nancy Pelosi at the time, is that correct?” Cruz said.
“Yes, Senator,” said Patel.
“And would that also be Chuck Schumer (D-NY), then the Senate Majority Leader?” asked Cruz.
“The Sergeant at Arms, yes, Senator, reports up there,” Patel answered. “She put in writing on the days leading up to January 6th a declination for National Guard additional support and that letter is available publicly to the world.”
The testimony dismantles the long-standing narrative that President Trump failed to act in securing the Capitol. In June 2024, the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight released documentary footage recorded by Alexandra Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi’s daughter, on January 6, 2021.
In the footage, then-Speaker Pelosi is seen stating, “I take responsibility” for the security failures at the Capitol that day. She also discussed the firing of U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund and House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving, saying that blaming anyone besides former President Trump would be a “diversionary tactic.”
While Pelosi privately acknowledged her responsibility for security lapses, she publicly focused blame on former President Trump through the establishment of the January 6 Select Committee.
During Patel’s Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing Thursday, he vowed to shield FBI personnel from political retaliation. Democratic senators scrutinized his previous statements, including advocating for the prosecution of journalists and the dismantling of the FBI’s headquarters.
Meanwhile, Republican senators have shown preliminary support for Patel. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) commended him as the ideal candidate to tackle internal issues at the FBI, and Senator Cruz hailed him as a “real reformer.”
Previously, Patel held significant positions such as Chief of Staff to the Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense and Senior Advisor to the Acting Director of National Intelligence during Trump’s initial term. He is notably critical of the FBI and participated in efforts to undermine investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
If confirmed, Patel would be the ninth director of the FBI and its first leader of Indian American descent. His nomination is among several recent appointments by President Trump, who continues to place loyalists in strategic roles within his administration.
