Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn stated in a Fox News interview that the primary reason Democrats, including Senator Adam Schiff of California, are apprehensive about Kash Patel potentially leading the FBI is due to his awareness of their involvement in the ‘Russian collusion’ narrative during President Donald Trump’s initial term.
Blackburn remarked, ‘They are particularly concerned about Kash Patel because he is aware of the actions taken by Adam Schiff and others regarding the Russia collusion issue, and they understand that he possesses incriminating information about them.
This knowledge makes them anxious about what he might disclose to the public.’ Host Charlie Hurt responded by noting that Kash Patel is committed to ensuring transparency in Washington, a sentiment that Blackburn concurred with.
To what extent do you believe that Democrats may resent RFK Jr., similar to their feelings towards Tulsi Gabbard? Hurt inquired. He expressed that it seems evident that one of the primary sources of their frustration stems from the fact that these individuals were once Democrats, and it infuriates them that these former party members have managed to collaborate with President Trump on pragmatic solutions.
Blackburn concurred, stating that you are absolutely correct. This situation indeed provokes their anger, leading them to seek retribution by either withholding their votes or obstructing the nomination process. RFK Jr. is poised to excel at HHS, and I assure you of one thing.
He is set to assist us in locating these 300,000 children. I have been attempting to locate these individuals since the number was 75,000, and the Biden Administration has not provided any information regarding their whereabouts. RFK is poised to intervene. He will collaborate with Dr. [Mehmet] Oz to reform CMS and will partner with [Dr.] Marty Makary to rectify the FDA. Additionally, he will engage with Dr. [Jay] Bhattacharya at NIH,” Blackburn stated.
“You will witness increased transparency. The public is eager to understand the true events surrounding COVID. I believe we will uncover what transpired,” she continued.
“Importantly, Bhattacharya has been a vocal critic of the government’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic and was the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case, Murthy v. Missouri, where he contended that he was ‘unjustly censored’ on social media by the government for his opinions on the matter,” the Consortium of Social Science Associations remarked concerning the nomination of the Stanford University health policy professor by Trump.
“Although the case attracted significant national attention, it ultimately resulted in an unsuccessful 6-3 ruling,” the organization further elaborated.
Regarding his nominee for the NIH, Trump stated, “Dr. Bhattacharya will collaborate with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Nation’s Medical Research efforts, aiming to achieve significant breakthroughs that will enhance health and save lives.”
Patel, a former federal prosecutor, was designated as senior counsel for counterterrorism on the House Select Committee on Intelligence in 2017, subsequently taking on the role of senior director of the Counterterrorism Directorate at the U.S. National Security Council in 2019.
He had previously served as a senior aide to then-Representative Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) during Nunes’ chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee, where he significantly contributed to Republican investigations concerning Trump and the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Additionally, Patel was instrumental in the creation of the 2018 Nunes memo, which accused the FBI of misconduct regarding its request for a surveillance warrant on a Trump campaign aide from 2016.
