Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have delayed a vote on Kash Patel, President Trump's choice to lead the FBI, but the nominee is still likely to be confirmed.

It's an apparent last-ditch effort to weaken the GOP's resolve, after Patel, a harsh critic of the Deep State, sailed through a confirmation hearing with robust support from Republicans.

Democrats hold up Cabinet vote

The Democrats have complained that Patel is a radical who will seek retribution on Trump's behalf - after Democrats unsuccessfully tried to imprison Trump during his re-election campaign.

Consistent with his pledge to end weaponized government, Trump has begun a purge at the DOJ and FBI, but Democrats have cried foul, accusing Trump of wanting to put his own partisan stamp on federal law enforcement.

Led by ranking member Dick Durbin (D-Il.), Democrats on the Judiciary Committee requested a second hearing to grill Patel further about the Trump administration's FBI overhaul. When that request was denied, the committee met in person Thursday to delay consideration of the nominee.

During the brief meeting, Durbin fretted that Patel would use the FBI to settle political scores - something Trump and his allies have accused the agency of doing under its past anti-Trump leaders.

"For God's sake, to give the most sweeping investigative agency in the United States and the world over to this man to settle political scores is something we're going to regret. That's why we asked for a second hearing on this," Durbin said.

Trump's Cabinet almost filled

Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Ia.), meanwhile, accused Democrats of breaking norms by forcing the committee to meet in person for the sole purpose of delaying a nomination.

While the minority party has delayed Judiciary Committee votes on nominees before, it's unusual to gather in person for that purpose.

"Our committee works best when both parties uphold norms... I'm disappointed my colleagues are not reciprocating a courtesy we extended in good faith when we were in the minority," Grassley said.

Trump's Cabinet has been all but assembled, with his most controversial nominees either confirmed or heading that way soon. Democrats, disoriented by Trump's shellacking of their party in November and his forceful push to overhaul the federal government, are struggling to stop Trump's momentum.

The delay on voting for Patel isn't likely to prevent the Republican-controlled Senate from confirming him, with Grassley dismissing the Democrats' move as a desperate "delay tactic" destined to fail.