WATCH: Sen. Blumenthal questions Patel about his Jan. 6 prison choir involvement in hearing

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., questioned Kash Patel on Thursday in his confirmation hearing for FBI director.

The senator built on Democrats’ probing into Patel’s statements about the Jan. 6 insurrection by asking about his involvement in helping produce a recording of the so-called “J6 choir” singing the national anthem. Members of that choir included offenders who had assaulted officers during the Capitol attack.

Patel sidestepped Blumenthal’s questions, saying he wasn’t aware of the specific cases the senator mentioned in his line of questioning.

“I never once advocated for political violence or violence against law enforcement,” Patel said.

“You promoted and produced a song to raise money for them and you now want us to believe you don't know who they are?” Blumenthal asked.

Patel said that neither the song nor anything he’s done in 16 years of service “glorifies or advocates for violence against law enforcement.”

Patel appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

A loyal Trump supporter, Patel is a former public defender turned Justice Department prosecutor. He served in President Donald Trump’s first term as chief of staff to acting defense secretary Christopher Miller. In interviews, he has said he wants to reduce the size of the national intelligence community, and shut down the FBI’s headquarters in Washington. He’s also repeated the false narrative that Trump won the 2020 election.

Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app

Find more from PBS NewsHour at

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

X (formerly Twitter)

Subscribe:

PBS NewsHour podcasts

Newsletters