‘Oh No No No!’ Dem Senator Tells Jen Psaki He’s Definitely Not Keeping An Open Mind About Trump FBI Pick Kash Patel

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) was emphatic when MSNBC host Jen Psaki asked if he’s reserving judgment about Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI.

Trump has been making news with cabinet picks that drew shock and outrage — including one bombshell withdrawal and a Pentagon nominee — Pete Hegseth — battling rape allegations and a devastating whistleblower report. But Trump’s nomination of loyalist Kash Patel to be FBI director has set off new levels of alarm.

On Monday’s edition of MSNBC’s Inside With Jen Psaki, Padilla made no pretense of giving Patel a shot at earning his vote for confirmation, calling the nomination “equally offensive” to Matt Gaetz’s aborted bid for AG:

PSAKI: So, let me just ask you first about Kash Patel.

I just read what Dick Durbin said. You said yesterday that the nomination raises questions you will raise during his confirmation hearing. So, I guess my question is, what more do you need to know? And are you kind of reserving judgment on whether you’re going to support Kash Patel or not?

PADILLA: Oh, no, no, no!

Trust me, I mean, the fact that he’s a conspiracy theorist is just the beginning of this process. There’s still time for Donald Trump or the team around him to come to true sense, just as they did with Matt Gaetz, right? This is an equally offensive nomination.

But if they insist on going forward, then we’re going to insist on the background checks. We’re going to insist on a very thorough and firm confirmation hearing. I know how I’m going to vote for someone who believes in conspiracy theories, denies the results of the 2020 election, and then says, I’m going to run the FBI by shutting down FBI headquarters?

Are you kidding me? So that’s just for starters. What should not be lost in this conversation, Jen, is the role and test for Senate Republicans. How are they going to choose to handle these extremist nominations? Are they going to be loyal to their oath of office, loyal to the Constitution of the United States, or loyal to Donald Trump, and every time he says, kneel, they say how fast?

That’s the question.

PSAKI: Sounds like you’re a no. A definitive no for Kash Patel, we can put you down for.

Do you think — we were just talking about this. Do you think there are Republicans on the committee who would join you and other Democrats in requiring FBI background checks in order to move forward with these nominations?

PADILLA: Look, I would like to think so from our conversations behind closed doors, those that want to respect the process.

Somebody that I have seen a lot on national news of late, Senator Mike Rounds, all right, there’s a lot that he and I may not agree on in terms of policy, but the way he’s approached the process of all this, I think, is a little bit encouraging. He’s not on the committee, however.

And so it’ll be a test for the members of the Judiciary Committee, whether it’s anybody appointed to the FBI, whether it’s the attorney general to oversee the Department of Justice or any other of the positions within our jurisdiction.

Watch above via MSNBC’s Inside With Jen Psaki.