Republican Sen. Susan Collins from Maine announced that she will not support President Donald Trump’s nominee for FBI Director, Kash Patel. “The nomination of Kash Patel to serve as Director of the FBI comes to the Senate against the backdrop of recent personnel actions at the Department of Justice, including the resignations of several career federal prosecutors who felt they were being instructed to act in a manner inconsistent with their ethical obligations,” she said in a Thursday statement released just before a key procedural vote.
“While I strongly support efforts to ensure all federal employees perform their responsibilities ethically and in accordance with the law, Mr. Patel’s recent political profile undermines his ability to serve in the apolitical role of Director of the FBI,” she added. Trump’s FBI nominee cleared his final procedural hurdle on Thursday morning, despite losing the support of Sen. Collins. Key Republican Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) are backing Patel for the role.
Tillis, who previously held out on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s nomination, was one of the first to support Patel, helping guide him through the Senate. Moderate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has not yet stated whether she will vote to confirm Patel, but she did vote “yes” on the last procedural hurdle, suggesting she may support him in the final vote. Fox News’ congressional correspondent Chag Pergram reported that there’s “not much Democrats can do” to stop Patel’s likely confirmation, however.
Patel is set to have his final confirmation vote on Thursday afternoon. Collins also opposed Hegseth, along with Murkowski and former Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Vice President J.D. Vance was needed to break the tie in the Senate and confirm Hegseth. With full attendance, Patel can afford to lose only three Republican votes, assuming all Democrats will oppose him. Collins is notably up for re-election in 2026 in Maine. During her last bid, she won the state alongside then-President Joe Biden, thanks to split-ticket voting.
