The Senate on Thursday voted 51-49 to confirm Kash Patel as FBI director. 

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voted ‘yes’ on the conservative firebrand’s confirmation, even while moderates Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted ‘no.’ 

A vote to invoke cloture and begin two hours of debate on the nominee passed 51 to 47 earlier Thursday. 

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted earlier this month, 12 to 10, to advance Patel to the full floor for a vote. 

Still, Patel faced a rockier path to confirmation, even in the Republican-majority chamber, after Democrats on the panel used their political weight to delay Patel’s confirmation vote earlier this month. 

Top Judiciary Democrat Dick Durbin claimed on the Senate floor that Patel had been behind recent mass firings at the FBI, citing what he described as ‘highly credible’ whistleblower reports indicating Patel had personally directed the ongoing purge of FBI employees prior to his confirmation.

But that was sharply refuted by Senate Republicans, who described the allegation as a baseless and politically motivated attempt to delay Patel’s confirmation, and by a Patel aide, who described Durbin’s claim as categorically false.

This person told Fox News Digital that Patel flew home to Las Vegas after his confirmation hearing and had ‘been sitting there waiting for the process to play out.’

Patel, a vociferous opponent to the investigations into President Donald Trump and one who served at the forefront of Trump’s 2020 election fraud claims, vowed during his confirmation hearing last month that he would not engage in political retribution against agents who worked on the classified documents case against Trump and other politically sensitive matters.

But his confirmation comes at a time when the FBI’s activities, leadership, and personnel decisions are being closely scrutinized for signs of politicization or retaliation.

Thousands of FBI agents and their superiors were ordered to fill out a questionnaire detailing their roles in the Jan. 6 investigation, prompting concerns of retaliation or retribution. 

A group of FBI agents filed an emergency lawsuit this month seeking to block the public identification of any agents who worked on the Jan. 6 investigations, in an attempt to head off what they described as potentially retaliatory efforts against personnel involved. 

‘There will be no politicization at the FBI,’ Patel told lawmakers during his confirmation hearing. ‘There will be no retributive action.’

But making good on that promise could prove to be complicated. 

Trump told reporters this month that he intends to fire ‘some’ of the FBI personnel involved in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots, characterizing the agents’ actions as ‘corrupt,’ even as he stopped short of providing any additional details as to how he reached that conclusion.

‘We had some corrupt agents,’ Trump told reporters, adding that ‘those people are gone, or they will be gone— and it will be done quickly, and very surgically.’

The White House has not responded to questions over how it reached that conclusion, or how many personnel could be impacted, though a federal judge in D.C. agreed to consider the lawsuit.

And in another message meant to assuage senators, Patel said he didn’t find it feasible to require a warrant for intelligence agencies to surveil U.S. citizens suspected to be involved in national security matters, referring to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

‘Having a warrant requirement to go through that information in real time is just not comported with the requirement to protect American citizens,’ Patel said. ‘It’s almost impossible to make that function and serve the national, no-fail mission.’

‘Get a warrant’ had become a rallying cry of right-wing conservatives worried about the privacy of U.S. citizens, and almost derailed the reauthorization of the surveillance program entirely. Patel said the program has been misused, but he does not support making investigators go to court and plea their case before being able to wiretap any U.S. citizen. 

Patel held a number of national security roles during Trump’s first administration – chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, senior advisor to the acting director of national intelligence, and National Security Council official. 

He worked as a senior aide on counterterrorism for former House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, where he fought to declassify records he alleged would show the FBI’s application for a surveillance warrant for 2016 Trump campaign aide Carter Page was illegitimate, and served as a national security prosecutor in the Justice Department. 

In public comments, Patel has suggested he would refocus the FBI on law enforcement and away from involvement in any prosecutorial decisions. 

In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, he suggested his top two priorities are to ‘let good cops be cops’ and transparency, which he described as ‘essential.’

‘If confirmed, I will focus on streamlining operations at headquarters while bolstering the presence of field agents across the nation,’ he wrote. ‘Collaboration with local law enforcement is crucial to fulfilling the FBI’s mission.’

Patel went on: ‘Members of Congress have hundreds of unanswered requests to the FBI. If confirmed, I will be a strong advocate for congressional oversight, ensuring that the FBI operates with the openness necessary to rebuild trust by simply replying to lawmakers.’

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said Ukraine needs to ‘tone down’ its criticism of President Donald Trump and its leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy needs to ‘come back to the table’ to work out an economic deal with the U.S.

Waltz spoke on ‘Fox & Friends’ a day after Zelenskyy suggested Trump is in a ‘disinformation space’ regarding peace talks with Russia. Trump responded by calling Zelenskyy ‘A Dictator without Elections,’ writing in a Truth Social post that ‘Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.’ 

‘Why we are getting this pushback and certainly this kind of – as the vice president said, badmouthing in the press — for all the administration has done in his first term as well and all the United States has done for Ukraine is just unacceptable. They need to tone it down and take a hard look and sign that deal,’ Waltz said about Ukraine on Thursday. 

He later told reporters at the White House Press Briefing that Zelenskyy ‘needs to come back to the table, and we’re going to continue to have discussions about where that deal is going.’

The United States has sent billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.  

The Trump administration is now seeking to recoup the cost of aid sent to the war-torn country by gaining access to rare earth minerals like titanium, iron and uranium. 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave Zelenskyy a document when they met last week that reportedly proposed the United States being granted 50% ownership of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. However, Zelenskyy declined to sign the proposed agreement, telling the Associated Press in Munich that it didn’t provide enough security guarantees for his country. 

Waltz said Thursday that ‘the president thinks this is an opportunity for Ukraine going forward’ and that ‘There can be, in my view, nothing better for Ukraine’s future and for their security than to have the United States invested in their prosperity long term.’

Zelenskyy said Thursday that he had a ‘productive meeting’ with Keith Kellogg, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Russia and Ukraine, in Kyiv.

‘I am grateful to the United States for all the assistance and bipartisan support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,’ Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding that ‘We had a detailed conversation about the battlefield situation, how to return our prisoners of war, and effective security guarantees.’

Waltz said a ‘key part’ of Kellogg’s conversation with Zelenskyy on Thursday was ‘helping President Zelensky understand this war needs to come to an end.’

He added that it isn’t in America’s interest for ‘this war to grind on forever and ever.’

‘This kind of open-ended mantra that we’ve had under the Biden administration, that’s over. And I think a lot of people are having a hard time accepting that,’ Waltz also said.

Waltz, speaking earlier on ‘Fox & Friends’ about recent comments Trump and Zelenskyy have made about each other, said ‘There is obviously a lot of frustration here.

‘Vice President Vance was very frustrated leaving [last week’s] Munich Security Conference. Our Secretary of Treasury who traveled all the way to Kyiv is also frustrated, all on top of the president, obviously, who makes his frustration well known and that is because we presented the Ukrainians really an incredible and historic opportunity to have the United States of America co-invest in Ukraine, invest in its economy, invest in its natural resources, and really become a partner in Ukraine’s future in a way that is sustainable, but also would be I think the best security guarantee they could ever hope for, much more than another pallet of ammunition.’ 

‘The president also said how much he loves the Ukrainian people,’ Waltz said Thursday. ‘He was the first to arm them back in his first term, we have done a lot for the security of Ukraine and to say that we are going to change the nature of our aid going forward, I don’t think should offend anyone.’ 

Fox News’ Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report. 

Many pro-Trump Republicans took to social media on Thursday to celebrate Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell’s announcement that he would be leaving the Senate at the end of his term, with one commentator saying he has ‘done so much destruction’ to the Republican Party.

At 83 years old, McConnell has been in the Senate for 40 years. Known as a moderate conservative, he served as the leader of the Senate Republican Conference from 2007 until 2025, which makes him the longest-serving party leader in U.S. history. His seventh and final term will expire in January 2027.

McConnell has at times been very critical of President Donald Trump. He recently voted against confirming some of Trump’s top Cabinet nominees, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., earning him the ire of many in the president’s sphere. He has also taken criticism for remaining in the Senate despite his advanced age and several frightening health episodes.

Some conservatives have accused McConnell of being a ‘Republican in name only’ (RINO).

Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday morning, McConnell gave a heartfelt address in which he said: ‘Seven times my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate… Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.’

In response to McConnell’s announcement, Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, said, ‘It’s time for new blood from the great state of Kentucky’ and that ‘exciting opportunities await’ for the Republican Party. 

‘GOOD RIDDANCE, RINO!’ reacted conservative influencer Nick Sortor. 

‘Mitch McConnell, whose birthday is today, will not be running for reelection in 2026. Good. The statement comes as McConnell has suffered multiple medical emergencies in the past few years. McConnell is 83 years old and has been a Senator in Kentucky since 1985,’ said conservative media personality Collin Rugg.

‘Thank goodness. He has done so much destruction to this party,’ he added.

Another conservative influencer, Benny Johnson, who has previously criticized McConnell as being too old to remain in the Senate, described the retiring senator’s slow speech as an ‘absolutely brutal listen.’ This prompted another political commentator, Mike Sperrazza, to suggest: ‘We still need term limits.’

However, not everyone was so critical of McConnell. New Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., took to X to say, ‘McConnell’s legacy is one of remarkable service to the Senate, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and our nation.’

‘Over decades of tireless work, his mastery of Senate procedure, commitment to the institution, and dedication to the rule of law have shaped the course of American governance for generations to come,’ said Thune. ‘His leadership has strengthened the Senate’s role as a deliberative body and delivered historic achievements, from advancing the judiciary to championing Kentucky’s interests.’

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released guidance Wednesday to implement sex-based definitions across the federal government and partners to expand President Donald Trump’s executive order signed last month titled, ‘Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.’

HHS announced the department will also be working ‘to implement policies protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation,’ as well as developing a policy for women’s sports.

As such, HHS also launched a new web page for the Office of Women’s Health featuring a video of former collegiate swimmer and activist Riley Gaines discussing keeping biological men out of women’s sports.

‘Thank you, President Trump and HHS for courageously defending truth, common sense and women,’ Gaines said in the video.

‘The executive order ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports’ ensures the next generation of girls has a fair opportunity to compete with the safety, privacy and equal opportunity they’re entitled to,’ Gaines said. ‘The clarity and decisiveness of the Trump administration sends a strong, clear message to women and girls across the country that we matter.’

Other links on the new website include ‘Defending Women’ and ‘Protecting Children.’

A screenshot taken by Fox News Digital shows the difference between the new HHS web page on Thursday versus February 2024, under the Biden administration, when a purple ‘Know Your Rights: Reproductive Health Care’ ticker can be seen on the Office of Women’s Health homepage.

‘This administration is bringing back common sense and restoring biological truth to the federal government,’ HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. ‘The prior administration’s policy of trying to engineer gender ideology into every aspect of public life is over.’

According to the guidance, ‘Sex’ refers to a person’s immutable biological classification as either male or female. ‘Female’ is defined as a person with a reproductive system designed to produce eggs, while ‘Male’ refers to a person with a reproductive system designed to produce sperm. ‘Woman’ and ‘Girl’ represent adult and minor human females, respectively, while ‘Man’ and ‘Boy’ refer to adult and minor human males. The terms ‘Mother’ and ‘Father’ denote female and male parents, respectively.

Wednesday’s announcement comes as the Trump administration has been seeking to restore ‘biological truth’ to the public sector. The topic of gender was not included in the HHS guidance.

Trump’s gender-related executive orders – which include banning biological men from women’s sports and transgender people from the military – have sparked legal challenges, with several lawsuits filed by progressive and LGBT advocacy groups arguing that the orders violate civil rights protections for transgender individuals.

Indiana Republican Sen. Jim Banks is set to deliver a speech to conservatives on Thursday declaring victory over ‘wokeness’ and making the case that the ‘Golden Age of America’ ushered in by President Trump will mean the ‘death’ of DEI. 

‘Despite how extensively DEI polluted our institutions, President Trump, with the swipe of his pen, dismantled this Marxist ideology from the halls of our government,’ Banks, who founded the Anti-Woke Caucus during his time in the House, is expected to tell the audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland on Thursday, Fox News Digital has learned. 

‘DEI is the biggest threat to the American Dream, but the Golden Age of America means the death of DEI.’

Banks’ speech states that Democrats in the United States have attempted to ‘sabotage’ institutions with ‘wokeness’ as their ‘primary weapon’ meant to ‘nuke’ American culture while eroding society. 

‘Putting up a fight against this kind of poison requires courageous action,’ Banks will say. ‘That’s exactly what President Trump has done.’

Since taking office, Trump has acted to fulfill campaign promise to remove DEI policies from the federal government that critics for several years have argued shift the focus away from meritocracy and, as a result, make the country less safe and less effective. 

Included in those actions were executive orders in the early days of Trump’s presidency banning ‘radical gender ideology’ and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives from all branches of the U.S. military.

In an executive order dubbed ‘Restoring America’s Fighting Force,’ Trump stated that DEI programs have undermined ‘leadership, merit and unit cohesion, thereby eroding lethality and force readiness’ and have ‘violated Americans’ consciences by engaging in invidious race and sex discrimination.’

‘Maybe most importantly, DEI has been uprooted from our military,’ Banks will tell the crowd at CPAC. ‘Under Biden, our armed forces were wasting precious time and taxpayer resources running social experiments. Do you think China’s military is worried about filling diversity quotas and making sure everyone’s pronouns and delusions are respected?’

‘No. As an Afghanistan veteran, I can tell you that diversity, in and of itself, provides no strategic advantage. In fact, holding up diversity as some sort of moral virtue is a deadly distraction. Under President Trump, we’re rightfully refocusing our military on lethality. Because that’s what keeps us safe.’

Additionally, Trump’s partnership with Tesla CEO Elon Musk to slash waste with DOGE has resulted in DEI-related cuts in the federal government, including the Department of Education, which said last week it canceled nearly $350 million in ‘woke’ spending.

The agency canceled 10 contracts with Regional Educational Laboratories (REL), totaling $336 million, after a review of the contracts uncovered ‘wasteful and ideologically driven spending not in the interest of students and taxpayers,’ a news release stated. 

‘The Education Department under President Trump has given schools 14 days to end any practice that treats students differently because of their race or lose federal funding,’ Banks will say. ‘A huge blow to DEI and a massive win for our kids.’

While Banks believes that Trump has ‘put his foot on the neck of woke and driven a stake through the heart of those who hate America,’ he warns in his speech that Congress still has work to do on the issue and specifically railed against ‘weak Republicans on our side.’

‘Congress needs to do its job and reinforce the successes that President Trump and his administration have accomplished,’ Banks said. ‘We need legislation to codify and extend his transformative executive orders.’

‘We have no time for wimpy Republicans. The New Right merges true conservatism with the interests of the people. President Trump and his administration boldly embody this new party.’

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report