WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Senate on Thursday narrowly confirmed Kash Patel as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The upper chamber approved the nomination by vote of 51 to 49, with two Republicans joining all 47 Democrats in voting against Patel's nomination.

"Mr. Patel has made numerous politically charged statements in his book and elsewhere discrediting the work of the FBI, the very institution he has been nominated to lead," Susan Collins, Republican Senator from Maine, said in a statement Thursday.

"These statements, in conjunction with the questionnaire sent to thousands of FBI employees, cast doubt on Mr. Patel's ability to advance the FBI's law enforcement mission in a way that is free from the appearance of political motivation," Collins said.

During Donald Trump's first presidential term, Patel served as chief of staff at the U.S. Defense Department, deputy director of National Intelligence, and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council.

After winning election in November 2024, Trump announced that he planned to nominate Patel as the next FBI director, intending to replace Christopher Wray, before Wray's term ends. Wray later told bureau employees that he planned to resign at the end of the Joe Biden administration.

Since Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, the Senate, with a Republican majority, has been rapidly advancing cabinet nominees.

Nominations to several key positions, including Secretary of State, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director, Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Transportation, and Attorney General, have been approved.

On Wednesday, U.S. Senate confirmed Kelly Loeffler, a Georgia businesswoman and former senator, to lead the Small Business Administration. Enditem

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