Donald Trump's team is using behind-the-scenes moves to win over senators in hopes that they will confirm his controversial nominee to lead the FBI, according to a reporter.
Trump signaled his intention to appoint Kash Patel as the director of FBI, leading to outrage among critics who say he's too focused on being a loyalist.
Guardian reporter Hugo Lowell, who has long covered Trump's campaign, appeared on MSNBC on Saturday to discuss Patel's path to the position.
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The host asked Lowell about what his sources are telling him "about how Patel is able to rise above his controversies during his meetings with senators this week."
"Yeah. It was a pretty smart strategy to basically hide himself behind the other controversial nominees," Lowell replied. "People like Pete Hegseth, who has continued to be in the headlines this week and, while Pete Hegseth was attracting all of the scrutiny, Kash Patel very quietly had 17 meetings with senators, which is quite extraordinary given he is supposed to be one of the controversial nominees as well."
He continued, saying, "My sources tell me part of the reason why he went around to the senate judiciary committee members is because all of these controversial guys have the same problem."
"They have the same problem with McConnell, people like Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, the senators who won't necessarily be swayed as easily by Trump because Trump doesn't have leverage over them, so they have to find ways to convince them to back nominees and for Kash Patel's case, the idea was, well, if the senate judiciary committee reports out his nomination unanimously, McConnell as an institutionalist would also vote in favor," the reporter added. "They're trying to narrow down the number of people who can vote against him. It's been quote a clever strategy.
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