Trump FCC chair targets NPR, PBS for investigation ahead of Congressional threats to defund
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched an investigation into media outlets PBS and National Public Radio (NPR) over member stations potentially airing “prohibited commercial advertisements,” according to a letter obtained by The New York Times. “I am concerned that NPR and PBS broadcasts could be violating federal law by airing commercials,” FCC chair Brendan Carr wrote, according to the Times. “In particular, it is possible that NPR and PBS member stations are broadcasting underwriting announcements that cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements.” The FCC allows businesses to support noncommercial radio and television stations — such as NPR, PBS or college radio stations — via on-air announcements known as underwriting sponsorships. The sponsorships, though similar to advertisements, face different FCC rules than typical TV or radio ads. Carr sent the letters Wednesday to NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger, according to the Times. He has been a member of the FCC since 2017, and was appointed by President Donald Trump to serve as the commission’s chair under his second administration. TRUMP TAPS FCC MEMBER BRENDAN CARR TO LEAD AGENCY: ‘WARRIOR FOR FREE SPEECH’ Carr continued in his letter that he will alert Congress to the investigation, noting that lawmakers already are weighing whether NPR and PBS should receive taxpayer funds. “In particular, Congress is actively considering whether to stop requiring taxpayers to subsidize NPR and PBS programming,” he wrote, according to the Times. “To the extent that these taxpayer dollars are being used to support a for profit endeavor or an entity that is airing commercial advertisements, then that would further undermine any case for continuing to fund NPR and PBS with taxpayer dollars,” he continued. Fox News Digital reached out to the FCC regarding the letter and the Times’ report, but did not immediately receive a response. GOP SENATOR EYES LEGISLATION TO DEFUND ‘PROPAGANDIST’ NPR AFTER SUSPENSION OF WHISTLEBLOWER NPR chief Maher said in response to the letter that NPR’s sponsorship practices “complies with federal regulations.” “NPR programming and underwriting messaging complies with federal regulations, including the FCC guidelines on underwriting messages for noncommercial educational broadcasters, and Member stations are expected to be in compliance as well,” Maher said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Thursday. TRUMP FCC CHAIR PICK STRESSES NEED TO ‘RESTORE’ FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS “We are confident any review of our programming and underwriting practices will confirm NPR’s adherence to these rules,” Maher said. “We have worked for decades with the FCC in support of noncommercial educational broadcasters who provide essential information, educational programming, and emergency alerts to local communities across the United States.” PBS added in comment to Fox Digital that it is also complies with “the FCC’s underwriting regulations.” “PBS is proud of the noncommercial educational programming we provide to all Americans through our member stations. We work diligently to comply with the FCC’s underwriting regulations and welcome the opportunity to demonstrate that to the Commission,” a PBS spokesperson said. NPR and PBS are both public broadcasting organizations, and both are bracing to potentially lose public funding under the Trump administration. “NO MORE FUNDING FOR NPR, A TOTAL SCAM!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social in April 2024, potentially previewing their fate under his second administration. “THEY ARE A LIBERAL DISINFORMATION MACHINE. NOT ONE DOLLAR!!!” Republican members of Congress also have introduced bills that would defund the public broadcasting organizations, such as Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy and Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry introducing the No Propaganda Act in December 2024. “The American Taxpayer is footing the bill for a woke media corporation that pretends to be impartial while pushing Chinese propaganda,” Perry said when introducing the legislation. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting “cannot be allowed to keep using your hard-earned tax dollars to push a biased and political agenda that goes against what’s best for Americans.” Carr’s name recognition grew large right ahead of the Nov. 5, 2024, election, when he lambasted NBC’s decision to host former Vice President Kamala Harris on “Saturday Night Live” in the final episode ahead of Election Day, but did not offer equal time to Trump or other candidates in the presidential cycle. TRUMP’S CHOICE FOR FCC CHAIRMAN SAYS AGENCY ‘WILL END ITS PROMOTION OF DEI’ NEXT YEAR The FCC’s equal-time rule was established in 1934, and requires radio and television broadcast stations to provide the same amount of time for competing political candidates. There are exceptions to the rule, such as newscasts, documentaries and political debates. “NBC has structured this in a way that’s plainly designed to evade the FCC’s rules. We’re talking 50 hours before Election Day starts, without any notice to other candidates, as far as I can tell,” Carr told Fox News Digital at the time. “And after previously coming out and saying they weren’t going to do this precisely because they did not believe that they could do this consistent with election laws and the FCC’s equal time rule.” NBC ultimately filed an equal time notice amid outrage over Harris’ appearance. KAMALA HARRIS APPEARS ON ‘SNL’ IN FINAL EPISODE BEFORE ELECTION Trump appointed Carr to lead the FCC shortly after his November 2024 election win, with Carr taking the helm of the commission in January. Carr was first nominated to the commission by Trump during his first administration, and served as the senior Republican member of the FCC until his appointment as chair. “Commissioner Carr is a warrior for Free Speech, and has fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled Americans’ Freedoms, and held back our Economy,” Trump said in a statement about the appointment. “He will end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America’s Job Creators and Innovators, and ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America.”
California Democrat hits Kash Patel for ties to gun rights group
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., grilled Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the FBI, over Patel’s pro-gun stances. Asked by Padilla whether Patel believes background checks on firearm purchases are constitutional, during the nominee’s confirmation hearing Thursday, Patel responded that he didn’t know “the in-depths of it,” but believed “that’s what the Supreme Court said.” “Do you think civilian ownership of machine guns is protected by the Second Amendment?” Padilla fired back. EX-FBI OFFICIAL WHO SHUT DOWN HUNTER BIDEN LINES OF INVESTIGATION VIOLATED HATCH ACT WITH ANTI-TRUMP POSTS “Whatever the courts rule in regards to the Second Amendment is what is protected by the Second Amendment,” Patel responded. Padilla explained that his line of questioning was due to an “association” between Patel and the group Gun owners of America, which enthusiastically endorsed Trump’s choice to lead the FBI. “GOA Applauds Nomination of ‘Fiercely Pro-Gun’ Kash Patel for FBI Director,” the organization said in a press release following Trump’s announcement to tap Patel. KASH PATEL, TRUMP’S PICK FOR FBI DIRECTOR, ANSWERS QUESTIONS ON JAN. 6 , QANON, AND MORE Padilla expressed concern over the enthusiastic endorsement, arguing that the organization has taken “extreme positions” on guns. “Gun Owners of America has taken extreme positions, including the position that all background checks are unconstitutional and that civilian ownership of machine guns is protected under the Second Amendment,” Padilla said. Padilla then argued that Patel would be responsible for overseeing some of the country’s most critical gun regulations at the FBI, expressing concern that Trump’s nominee is not up to the task. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Let me remind you that as FBI director, you will oversee critical responsibilities related to firearm regulation, you’re administering the national instant criminal background check system. Yes, it’s constitutional, it’s in place, for a reason! You would also regulate the distribution of machine guns to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Policies and programs in place for a reason,” Padilla said. “Given your hesitancy, given your answers, I am concerned about your ability to do the job when it’s not in alignment with views like Gun Owners of America.”
Chaotic crowds complicate third Israel-Hamas exchange
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Israel and Palestinian armed groups led by Hamas completed a tense third exchange of captives for prisoners.
Key takeaways from Tulsi Gabbard’s US Senate confirmation hearing
Washington, DC – Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, has faced tough questions from United States lawmakers over her past positions, including her support for whistleblower Edward Snowden. At a confirmation hearing on Thursday, senators also grilled Gabbard over a 2017 visit to Syria, where she met with then-President Bashar al-Assad. A former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, Gabbard has been outspoken against interventionist foreign policy. She unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020, and two years later, she quit the Democratic Party, decrying it as an “elitist cabal of warmongers”. She subsequently started campaigning for Republican candidates, including Trump. If confirmed, Gabbard would become the chief of the US intelligence community, which is composed of several agencies, including the FBI and CIA. She would also brief and advise the president on security matters. Gabbard is one of many controversial nominees Trump has appointed to key positions. Advertisement But with a 53-seat majority in the 100-member Senate, Republicans are expected to confirm all of Trump’s picks. Gabbard faced her first test as a nominee in front of sceptical lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday. Below are some key takeaways from the hearing. Snowden, Snowden, Snowden Several Democrats and even some Republicans on the panel invoked Gabbard’s past statements backing Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor who leaked documents about mass surveillance programmes in the US government. In 2020, a US court found that the surveillance exposed by Snowden, including collecting phone records, was illegal. Snowden, who initially fled to Hong Kong, was granted asylum in Russia after the US government revoked his passport. Gabard previously called Snowden a “brave” whistleblower, and in 2020, she co-sponsored a House resolution urging the US government to drop all charges against Snowden. On Thursday, Gabbard was questioned aggressively about that position. Democratic Senator Michael Bennet asked her several times whether she considers Snowden a traitor. The former congresswoman refused to do so. She walked a fine-line by stressing that Snowden broke the law and that she does not agree with his actions, while not fully condemning him. “The fact is, he also — even as he broke the law — released information that exposed egregious, illegal and unconstitutional programmes,” she said. Gabbard, who served in the US military and remains an army reservist, also stressed that she herself has never leaked secret information. Advertisement Earlier on Thursday, Snowden suggested that Gabbard should disavow him to secure her confirmation. “Tell them I harmed national security and the sweet, soft feelings of staff,” he wrote in a social media post. “In DC, that’s what passes for the pledge of allegiance.” Tulsi Gabbard will be required to disown all prior support for whistleblowers as a condition of confirmation today. I encourage her to do so. Tell them I harmed national security and the sweet, soft feelings of staff. In D.C., that’s what passes for the pledge of allegiance. pic.twitter.com/Z1OmOHgvdU — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 30, 2025 Al-Assad meeting Another issue that kept resurfacing during the hearing was Gabbard’s 2017 trip to Syria and Lebanon. Gabbard met with al-Assad at a time when the US was calling on him to step down over the atrocities committed by his government. “I asked him tough questions about his own regime’s actions, the use of chemical weapons and the brutal tactics that were being used against his own people,” she said. Gabbard also denied meeting with any Hezbollah officials while in Lebanon. When asked whether meeting with al-Assad was good judgement, Gabbard said yes. “I believe that leaders — whether you be in Congress or the president of the United States — can benefit greatly by going and engaging boots on the ground, learning and listening and meeting directly with people, whether they be adversaries or friends,” she said. Gabbard said her main concern has been “extremist” Syrian rebels. Advertisement The former congresswoman also slammed Syria’s new leadership, composed of former rebels who toppled al-Assad’s government in December. She described the fall of al-Assad as “the sudden takeover of Syria by Islamist extremists”. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main rebel group that captured Damascus last year, had past ties to al-Qaeda. HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa is now the transitional president of Syria. The US previously offered a reward for capturing al-Sharaa, but it was revoked after US officials visited him in Damascus in December. Pro-Trump message In her opening remarks, Gabbard paid a nod to the president who nominated her, Trump, amplifying his claims that he was targeted by intelligence officials for political reasons. She invoked the foreign surveillance warrant that authorities used to surveil a Trump aide ahead of the 2016 elections, as they investigated possible ties between the campaign and Russia. “The American people elected Donald Trump as their president, not once, but twice,” she said. “Yet, the FBI and intelligence agencies were politicised by his opponents to undermine his presidency and falsely portray him as a puppet of Putin.” She pledged to deliver “unbiased” findings to Trump, saying that “weaponised” intelligence can lead to terrible consequences. Gabbard cited the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which was based on false reports that the country had weapons of mass destruction. “This disastrous decision led to the deaths of tens of thousands of American soldiers, millions of people in the Middle East, mass migration, destabilisation and undermining of the security and stability of our European allies, the rise of ISIS, strengthening of al-Qaeda and other Islamist jihadist groups and strengthening Iran,” she said. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
What are the risks of violence in the eastern DRC spreading regionally?
M23 rebels have taken control of Goma, capital of North Kivu province in eastern DRC. Since re-emerging just more than three years ago, Rwanda-backed rebels have advanced steadily through the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, seizing towns and villages, and forcing people from their homes. M23 is just one of hundreds of rebel groups in the country and has been fighting the army for years. But the latest escalation could mark a major shift, with serious implications for regional stability. So, does diplomacy stand a chance to defuse the escalating tensions? Presenter: Elizabeth Puranam Guests: Vava Tampa – Founder and chief campaigner of Save the Congo, a grassroots campaign group Richard Moncrieff – Project director for the Great Lakes region at the International Crisis Group Kambale Musavuli – Spokesperson for the advocacy organisation, Friends of the Congo Adblock test (Why?)
Kash Patel vows to ‘do everything’ to help GOP senator expose Epstein files
Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the FBI, pledged Thursday to work with a top Republican senator on exposing who worked with Jeffrey Epstein in trafficking and exploiting children. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., quizzed Patel about how he would handle the Epstein case. The sex-trafficking financier died in 2019 while awaiting trial. Nearly 200 names that had previously been redacted from court documents in a lawsuit against his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell were made public last year. However, Blackburn said there is still more to be known, including the names of those who flew on his plane and accomplices. KASH PATEL FLIPS SCRIPT ON DEM SENATOR AFTER BEING GRILLED ON J6 PARDONS: ‘BRUTAL REALITY CHECK’ “I want to talk to you about the Epstein case. I have worked on this for years trying to get those records of who flew on Epstein’s plane and who helped him build this international human trafficking sex trafficking ring,” she said. She used her remarks to take a jab at former Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin. “Now, earlier, I urged then Chairman Durbin to subpoena those records, and I ended up being blocked by Senator Durbin and Christopher Wray. They stonewalled on this,” she said. “And I know that breaking up these trafficking rings is important to President Trump. So will you work with me on this issue? So we know who worked with Jeffrey Epstein in building these sex trafficking rings?” she asked. KASH PATEL HAMMERS ‘GROTESQUE MISCHARACTERIZATIONS’ FROM DEMS AMID FIERY FBI CONFIRMATION HEARING “Absolutely, Senator,” Patel responded. “Child sex trafficking has no place in the United States of America. And I will do everything, if confirmed as FBI director, to make sure the American public knows the full weight of what happened in the past and how we are going to counterman missing children and exploited children going forward,” he said. Following the exchange between Blackburn and Patel, Durbin requested to respond to Blackburn’s jab at him and accused the Tennessee senator of “falsely” accusing him “of preventing releasing the names of Jeffrey Epstein’s network.” “My office subsequently reached out to hers to try to identify what records she was actually seeking. We did not receive a response,” he added. Blackburn fired back and said she had “raised the issue with Chairman Durbin. I had raised it on the floor that we wanted to get these records… You sought not to recognize me.” Patel’s nomination has sparked early criticism from some Democrats ahead of his confirmation hearing, who have cited his previous vows to prosecute journalists and career officials at the Justice Department and FBI that he sees as being part of the “deep state.” Democrats had pointed to Patel’s record and a book, “Government Gangsters,” released in 2023 that claimed that “deep state” government employees have politicized and weaponized the law enforcement agency – and explicitly called for the revamp of the FBI in a chapter dubbed “Overhauling the FBI.” Fox News’ Emma Colton and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
Kansas lawmakers vow to find answers after Wichita plane crash in DC
Kansas’ entire congressional delegation is vowing to find answers for the families grieving loved ones after the deadly crash of a flight from Wichita to Washington D.C., which officials have said left no survivors. A Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines PSA commercial jet that was moments from landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport Wednesday night, temporarily halting all flights in and out of the small but critically located airport. “Our prayers are with the families and friends of those affected by the tragic plane crash that occurred in our nation’s capital. South Central Kansas is a close community, and it’s likely that many of us directly or indirectly know people who were on Flight 5342 on Jan. 29,” the lawmakers’ joint written statement said. VIDEO SHOWS DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT, BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER “This is a sad day for Kansans and our nation, and this community, steeped in aviation and manufacturing history, will feel the pain of this catastrophe for years to come. We are grateful for the first responders and rescue crews who worked through the night. “Our focus now is supporting the family and friends of those who perished, including the crew and military personnel, and then getting answers for the grieving individuals who have lost a loved one and making sure this doesn’t happen again.” It was signed by GOP Kansas senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran, as well as Republican House representatives Ron Estes, Tracey Mann, Derek Schmidt and the delegation’s lone Democrat, Sharice Davids. Estes represents much of Wichita, where the flight originated. Moran said in a press conference shortly after midnight Thursday he was familiar with the flight route, having lobbied American Airlines for it to begin last year. President Donald Trump briefed reporters on the crisis earlier Thursday, saying there were no survivors from the crash. Members of Trump’s new Cabinet, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, both promised to find swift answers for the families grieving loved ones after the crash. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who represents Arlington County, where the airport is located, similarly said he would work toward accountability. “As the local representative, I want the families to know that our office is available to serve you in any way that we possibly can in this time of grief and transition and loss,” Beyer said at another press conference Thursday morning. AMERICAN AIRLINES CEO EXPRESSES ‘DEEP SORROW’ AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION “And then, also, I’d just note that we are deeply grateful for the people who risked their lives last night on a moment’s notice and spent the whole night on the river in the ice and the wind, serving us.” Beyer added that, through the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) probe into the crash, “we’ve got to make sure that, at the federal level and with the support of Virginia, Maryland, and D.C., we’re doing everything we can to make sure that this does not happen again.” American Airlines has said 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the plane, and the airline encouraged any loved ones looking for information to call the numbers on its site. U.S. officials are investigating why the Black Hawk helicopter flew into the path of the descending plane, Duffy told reporters. “I would say the helicopter was aware there was a plane in the area,” he said. Hegseth said the helicopter was manned by an experienced crew and was undergoing an “annual proficiency training flight.” Duffy told reporters that while the collision was a highly unusual and tragic event, the two aircraft’s mutual patterns were not atypical.
Democrats press Army secretary nominee if ‘readiness’ affected by southern border deployments
Democrats sounded off about the White House sending U.S. troops to the southern border — but Army secretary nominee Daniel Driscoll insists he does not believe it will affect readiness. “Is there a cost in terms of readiness?” Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat in the Senate Armed Services Committee, asked Driscoll during his confirmation hearing on Thursday. “The Army has a long, 249 history of balancing multiple objectives,” Driscoll said. “If this is important to the commander-in-chief, the Army will execute it.” “I think border security is national security,” he went on. “We’ve had soldiers at the border for a number of years, and the Army stands ready for any mission.” Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., also voiced concerns about sending the military to the U.S. border. “We’re seeing now active duty military, Army, be sent to the border, being sent on missions right now to support” the Department of Homeland Security, she said. “But according to our Constitution, the US military active duty cannot perform law enforcement roles.” ARMY SEC NOMINEE QUESTIONS WHETHER MILITARY PILOTS SHOULD TRAIN NEAR DC AIRPORT Slotkin, a former CIA agent, said she was concerned that without proper training an incident could occur that would turn public opinion against the nation’s armed forces. “I’m deeply concerned that active duty troops are going to be forced into law enforcement roles, and we’re already hearing stories that really, really touch right on the line,” she said. “They’re not properly trained. There’s going to be an incident,” she said. “Someone’s going to get hurt, there’s going to be some sort of blow up, and suddenly we’re going to have a community that’s deeply, deeply angry at uniformed military who were just told to go and drive those DHS vehicles through that building, perform support for somebody.” Slotkin asked Driscoll if he would follow an order from President Donald Trump or Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if it “contravened with the Constitution.” “I reject the premise that the president or the secretary would ask for an order like that, but I will always follow the law,” Driscoll said. HEGSETH SHARES DETAILS ON BLACK HAWK CHOPPER TRAINING FLIGHT Slotkin shot back: “Your predecessor, Army Secretary [Mark] Esper, had this exact thing that he wrote about in his book, 82nd Airborne Army was asked to come in and clean up a peaceful protest in Washington, DC. So I reject your rejection that this is theoretical.” “We’re counting on you to protect the integrity of a non-political military that is not trained in law enforcement roles,” Slotkin said. Immediately upon taking office, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and 1,500 active duty troops — 1,000 Army personnel and 500 Marines — deployed to the southern border. There already were 2,500 U.S. service members stationed at the southern border. The troops were ordered there in May 2023 during the Biden administration under Title 10 authorities approved by former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and are planned to be there until the end of fiscal year 2025, according to a U.S. Northern Command spokesperson. “Whatever is needed at the border will be provided,” Hegseth said Monday, hinting at the possibility of additional deployments in the coming weeks. Trump also signed an executive order designating drug cartels in Latin America as foreign terrorist organizations, granting the military greater authority to interdict them.
Kash Patel enrages Adam Schiff in Clintonian battle over the word ‘we’ and a January 6 song
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., clashed with FBI director nominee Kash Patel during his confirmation hearing on Thursday, particularly over a recording of a song released by Capitol Riot inmates. Schiff began by asking Patel if he stood by prior testimony that he had nothing to do with the recording of the song, which the Democrat said featured President Donald Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. “[That] is interesting because here’s what you told Steve Bannon on his podcast: ‘So what we thought would be cool is if we captured that audio and then, of course, had the greatest president, President Donald J. Trump, recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we went to a studio and recorded it, mastered it, digitized it, and put it out as a song’.” Schiff asked Patel why he told Bannon that. “That’s why it says ‘we’ as you highlighted,” Patel incredulously shot back. FLASHBACK: SCHIFF, WHO REPEATEDLY CLAIMED EVIDENCE OF RUSSIAN COLLUSION, DENOUNCES DURHAM REPORT AS ‘FLAWED’ “Yeah, and you’re part of that ‘we’ – right – when you say ‘we’ that includes you, Mr. Patel,” Schiff angrily replied. “Not in every instance.” Patel said, adding he did not personally partake in the recording or mastering of the single. Schiff was undeterred: “Well, that’s new. So when you said ‘we’. You didn’t really mean you. Is that your testimony?” “Not unless you have a new definition for the word ‘we’,” Patel said. Notably, in August 1997, President Bill Clinton was pressed on his sexual relations with intern Monica Lewinsky, and responded with a similar tenor as to which usage of the word “is” was being invoked during grand jury testimony. MAJOR CHANGES PATEL COULD MAKE ON DAY 1 AT FBI “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is. If the—if he—if ‘is’ means is and never has been, that is not—that is one thing. If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement,” Clinton said. In Thursday’s hearing, however, Patel said he was using the word “we” appropriately, while Schiff said he “promoted the hell out of it” – referencing the inmates’ single. “I don’t know what that means, but I promoted the heck out of raising money for families in need,” Patel shot back. Schiff then asked Patel to turn around and address the police officers in the room, claiming the inmates on the recording he purportedly promoted had assaulted them or their colleagues on January 6, 2021. “I’m looking at you. You’re talking to me,” Patel sternly replied. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP When Schiff asked Patel to “tell them how proud you are” to see Trump pardon all such inmates, Patel said it was “an abject lie – and you know it.” “I’ve never, never, ever accepted violence against law enforcement. I’ve worked with these men and women, as you know, you my entire life.”
Kash Patel vows to end Biden-era ‘targeting’ of Christians: ‘Sacred trust’
President Trump’s FBI director nominee Kash Patel pledged in his confirmation to end the “targeting” of Americans by the government specifically as it relates to citizens who were in the crosshairs of the Biden administration for religious reasons. “Is it appropriate for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to attempt to recruit spies or informants into religious institutions in this country, particularly Catholic parishes?” GOP Sen. Josh Hawley asked Patel in his confirmation hearing on Thursday. Patel responded, “I don’t believe so, senator.” “Mr. Patel, are you familiar with the recent actions of the FBI in this regard, including this memo that I have right here making a list of Catholic churches and parishes that they regard as potentially suspect and directing the potential recruitment of informants and other spies, let’s be honest, into those parishes,” Hawley asked. GRAHAM GRILLS FBI NOMINEE PATEL OVER ‘DISGUSTING’ AND ‘CORRUPT’ CROSSFIRE HURRICANE PROBE Patel told Hawley is familiar with the memo leading the Missouri Republican into his next question. “Mr. Patel, would you commit to me that you will, if you are confirmed, that you will finally and officially withdraw this memo and make it clear that this is not only unacceptable, but that it is an absolute violation of the First Amendment, that every American voice under the Constitution of the United States,” Hawley asked. “If I’m confirmed, Senator, yes,” Patel said back. KASH PATEL FLIPS SCRIPT ON DEM SENATOR AFTER BEING GRILLED ON J6 PARDONS: ‘BRUTAL REALITY CHECK’ “Will you also commit to me that you will conduct an investigation and find out who wrote this memo, who spread this memo?” Hawley asked. “The field offices involved in this memo, because I can tell you, we’ve had your predecessor sit right where you’re sitting. And he has repeatedly, repeatedly lied, there’s no other word for it, lied to this committee. He told us initially that it didn’t happen, that the FBI didn’t make any list of churches. That’s not true. We have it. A whistleblower brought forward the list for us.” “He said then that only one field office had worked on, it turns out we know from another whistleblower, multiple field offices worked on it, worked on it. He said that it was never posted on the internal system. It turns out it was. We believe it’s still in effect. Will you find out who was involved in this gross abuse of Americans First Amendment rights? And will you discipline them? And if you possibly can, will you fire them? Mr. Patel, consistent with Department policy and law?” Patel told Hawley that the senator has his “commitment” to “investigate any matters such as this” that “are important to Congress.” “I will fully utilize, if confirmed, the investigative powers of the FBI to give you the information you require, and also to hold those accountable who violated the sacred trust placed in them at the FBI,” Patel told Hawley. Hawley responded, “I’m glad to use the word sacred trust, because that’s exactly what it is. The FBI’s the most powerful law enforcement body in this nation, arguably the most powerful law enforcement body, at least in a free nation in the world and to have this body corrupted politically such that it is targeting people of faith in this country and then lying about it to this committee and the American people is unimaginable.” “I’ll be honest with you, I never thought this would happen in the United States of America, I just didn’t. If you had told me five years ago we’d be reading memos like this, I would have said, no way, no way. That’s bad fiction. In fact, it’s a horrible reality. The department needs to be cleaned up.” The exchanges comes on the heels of Trump’s recent announcement that he would pardon pro-life activists convicted under the FACE Act during President Joe Biden’s administration. The pardons, first reported by The Daily Wire, would apply to activists convicted of protesting near abortion clinics during various demonstrations. The details and scope of the pardons have yet to be revealed. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has also introduced legislation that would dismantle the FACE Act. Many lawmakers have argued that Democratic administrations have weaponized it against pro-life groups and Christians. Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report