GOP Senator Raves About Kash Patel After Getting Pressed By NBC’s Kristen Welker: He’ll Turn Around ‘Completely Corrupted’ FBI

A notable Republican Senator has come out as an unqualified yes in favor of Kash Patel becoming FBI Director.

In an interview on Meet the Press Sunday, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) raved about Patel — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the bureau. He also laced into the FBI — accusing it of being deeply politicized.

“This entire agency needs to be cleaned out, it’s not doing its job,” Hagerty said. He added, “There are serious problems at the FBI. The American public knows it. They expect to see sweeping change. And Kash Patel is just the type of person to do it.”

Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker cited criticism of Patel from Bill Barr — who served as Attorney General during Trump’s first term.

“Patel had virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world’s preeminent law enforcement agency,” Barr wrote in his 2022 memoir.

“Senator, how seriously do you take Barr’s warnings?” Welker asked.

“President Trump is entitled to name his appointees,” Hagerty replied. “That is exactly what he’s doing. And I’m going to support this appointment. Kash has worked in national security. He’s worked at the Department of Justice. And he’s somebody that has been willing to uncover the wrongs of the FBI.”

“So Senator, you are disregarding what Bill Barr, the former attorney general under Donald Trump, is saying, his warnings that he just doesn’t have the experience,” Welker said, following up.

“I think Kash does have relevant experience — particularly when it comes to the mandate the American public have assigned of turning these agencies around that have [been] completely corrupted cash has pointed it out,” Hagerty responded. “He’s probably the best at uncovering what’s happened to the FBI. And I look forward to seeing him taking it apart.”

Watch above, via NBC.