In an angry rant late last week, Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse alleged that FBI Director Kash Patel "will cause evil" within America's premier federal law enforcement agency.

Yet Whitehouse's words didn't prevent his colleagues from confirming Patel in another victory for President Donald Trump.  

Trump has seen more confirmations that his two predecessors

According to Fox News, Patel was confirmed on Thursday evening by a margin of 51-49. The vote broke down largely along partisan lines, although Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins sided with Democrats.

Fox News noted how Patel is one of a slew of cabinet nominees to receive assent from the Senate, a fact which was celebrated by Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

"By the end of today, we will have confirmed 18 of President Trump’s nominees. These nominees are bold and well-qualified," Thune was quoted as saying following the confirmation of Kelly Loeffler as Small Business Administration head.

"That is more nominees than President Obama had in 2009. It is more than President Biden had in 2021. More than twice as many," Thune boasted.

"Americans voted for a bold, new direction in Washington. Senate Republicans are delivering it," the South Dakota senator went on to declare.

Mitch McConnell refused to support Tulsi Gabbard

Patel is not the only one of Trump's nominees to receive pushback from some Republicans, as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard faced opposition from former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell earlier this month.

McConnell denounced Gabbard in a statement, saying that the former congresswoman's record makes her "unworthy of the public's highest public trust."

MCCONNELL on his no vote on Gabbard. pic.twitter.com/gLnDH51MvH

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) February 12, 2025

"The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is a key participant in the process that informs every major national security decision the President makes," he pointed out.

"In my assessment, Tulsi Gabbard failed to demonstrate that she is prepared to assume this tremendous national trust," McConnell asserted.

McConnell met with condemnation from some conservatives

"The nation should not have to worry that the intelligence assessments the President receives are tainted by a Director of National Intelligence with a history of alarming lapses in judgment," the longtime senator went on to insist.

McConnell's remarks were condemned online by some of his fellow Republicans, including commentator David J. Freeman.

"Mitch McConnell voted against Tulsi Gabbard's nomination. This geriatric f--k needs to be removed from the Senate," Freeman wrote in a social media post.