Kash Patel, President Trump's pick to run the FBI, answers questions Thursday in a public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Kash Patel, a former public defender, federal prosecutor, and veteran of the first Trump administration, is known for his strong criticism of the Justice Department and the FBI. He has been nominated for the position of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,

Kash Patel is set to join the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday morning to face his nomination hearing to serve as the second Trump administration's FBI director.

EXCLUSIVE: A previously identified anti-Trump FBI agent allegedly broke protocol and played a critical role in opening and advancing the bureau’s original investigation related to the 2020 election, tying President Trump to the probe without sufficient predication.

During Jan. 15 confirmation hearings for Pam Bondi, Trump's nominee for attorney general who oversees the FBI as part of the Justice Department, Democratic senators pressed Bondi on whether Patel was a good choice to run the agency, pointing to Patel's previous comments calling for downsizing the intelligence community.

Trump ally Kash Patel, the president's pick for FBI director, is likely to be questioned about his fitness to lead Thursday during his Senate confirmation hearing.

His nomination roiled FBI insiders, with reports emerging that the bureau could face mass resignations should he secure the post.

Kash Patel, a one-time aide to President Donald Trump, will inch closer to leading the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) when he sits for his US Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday. Patel, a former Department of Defence (DoD) chief of staff, is a fervent Trump supporter and a fellow critic of the US government's top law enforcement agency.

Confirming Patel "would endanger the FBI's integrity and compromise its critical mission," the former officials wrote.

Kash Patel, President Trump's pick to run the FBI, answers questions Thursday in a public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Dozens of Jan. 6 defendants who received pardons from President Trump had past criminal convictions for charges including rape, manslaughter, domestic violence and drug trafficking.