Kash Patel claims he's never heard of right-wing conspiracy theorist — and is reminded he's appeared on his show eight times
Kash Patel claims he's never heard of right-wing conspiracy theorist — and is reminded he's appeared on his show eight times
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Senator says Patel ‘promoted outrageous conspiracy theories and worked with a prominent neo-Nazi’. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the next FBI director, Kash Patel, claimed during his confirmation hearing on Thursday that he had never heard of a right-wing conspiracy theorist – before being reminded that he's appeared on his show eight times.
Patel arrived on Capitol Hill for his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he was asked by ranking member Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin about his knowledge of Stew Peters, a far-right podcaster. “Are you familiar with Stew Peters?” Durbin asked.
“Not off the top of my head,” said Patel. “You made eight separate appearances on his podcast,” said Durbin. “He promoted outrageous conspiracy theories and worked with a prominent neo-Nazi.”. “I'm just asking, when it comes to your association with individuals, why are so many of them in this category?” Durbin asked.
“My association, as you loosely define it, is by appearing in media over 1,000 times, to take on people who are putting on conspiratorial theories and to disavow them of their false impressions and to talk to them about the truth,” said Patel. “That is something that I will always continue to fight for.”.
A former aide to President Donald Trump and a former chief of staff at the Department of Defense, Patel has parroted large parts of the president’s criticism of the bureau. He has suggested that the FBI’s authority be severely restricted after claims by Republicans that the FBI has improperly targeted conservatives in the last few years, allegations that the departing FBI Director Christopher Wray has rejected.
