Democrats demand answers after Trump unleashes attacks on FBI officials

Democrats have now issued two separate letters over “national security concerns” caused by the Trump administration. One letter, sent on Tuesday, is from 20 Democratic attorneys general requesting that Donald Trump’s FBI pick, Kash Patel, return to Congress to answer further questions about political retribution and retaliation in the FBI. “The request follows alarming reports of politically motivated firings at the FBI and efforts to compile a list of agents involved in investigating the January 6th Capitol riots,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha in a press release regarding the coalition’s letter.This comes after Patel was questioned by Democrats last week in Congress about an “enemies list” in his confirmation hearing, targeting so-called "deep state" officials in Trump’s latest retaliation saga.Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington are the states involved in the request to bring Patel back for more questions.“We demand that you use your Constitutional authority to require that Kash Patel, President Trump’s nominee to be the director of the FBI, return for further questioning before the Judiciary Committee,” said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who spearheaded the coalition. “Mr. Patel must answer questions about this unprecedented attack on the FBI before Senators vote on his confirmation.”xScribd Content The other letter is from Democratic senators addressing “grave concerns” over the chaotic purging of FBI and DOJ officials this week.On Monday, as Trump and Musk continued their weeklong federal purge, threatening employees with a “buyout” and firing FBI officials and civil servants, Senate Judiciary Democrats issued a letter demanding Trump’s Cabinet picks address “grave concerns” over Trump’s “mass purging.” Letters were sent to Trump’s Attorney General pick Pam Bondi, FBI pick Patel, Deputy Attorney General pick Todd Blanche, Acting Attorney General James McHenry, and Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll.“We have grave concerns about the removal or reassignment across the DOJ and FBI of senior career civil servants who have served honorably under multiple administrations, regardless of the President’s party,” the 10 senators explained in a press release. “The removals and reassignments from their positions of a significant number of experienced, nonpartisan Department officials with invaluable national security expertise without any comparable replacements one day into the second Trump Administration presents an alarming threat to national security.”Meanwhile, on Tuesday, CNN reported that the FBI has turned over the names of 5,000 individuals who worked on the Jan. 6 cases to the Trump administration’s Justice Department. Even some Republicans are aghast by the purge. Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor and Trump ally before their public fallout, weighed in on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday. He said FBI officials “are stunned about what’s happening” and called it “incredibly dangerous” to national security. “In the threat assessment we have right now across the world, to lose that many agents, and then take a year to a year-and-a-half to try to replace them, is incredibly dangerous for our national security,” Christie said. “And for what? Because they did their jobs.”The mounting backlash from Democratic lawmakers and former Republican allies shows just how unprecedented the gutting within the FBI and DOJ is. With Patel at the center of scrutiny, concerns of political retribution and the erosion of nonpartisan law enforcement are reaching a boiling point. Daily Kos is different because we don't hold back, and we're not afraid to call out Trump. Chip in $5 to Daily Kos.

Democrats have now issued two separate letters over “national security concerns” caused by the Trump administration. One letter, sent on Tuesday, is from 20 Democratic attorneys general requesting that Donald Trump’s FBI pick, Kash Patel, return to Congress to answer further questions about political retribution and retaliation in the FBI. “The request follows alarming reports of politically motivated firings at the FBI and efforts to compile a list of agents involved in investigating the January 6th Capitol riots,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha in a press release regarding the coalition’s letter.

This comes after Patel was questioned by Democrats last week in Congress about an “ enemies list ” in his confirmation hearing, targeting so-called "deep state" officials in Trump’s latest retaliation saga. Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington are the states involved in the request to bring Patel back for more questions. “We demand that you use your Constitutional authority to require that Kash Patel, President Trump’s nominee to be the director of the FBI, return for further questioning before the Judiciary Committee,” said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes , who spearheaded the coalition.

“Mr. Patel must answer questions about this unprecedented attack on the FBI before Senators vote on his confirmation.” x Scribd Content The other letter is from Democratic senators addressing “grave concerns” over the chaotic purging of FBI and DOJ officials this week.

On Monday, as Trump and Musk continued their weeklong federal purge , threatening employees with a “buyout” and firing FBI officials and civil servants, Senate Judiciary Democrats issued a letter demanding Trump’s Cabinet picks address “grave concerns” over Trump’s “mass purging.” Letters were sent to Trump’s Attorney General pick Pam Bondi , FBI pick Patel , Deputy Attorney General pick Todd Blanche , Acting Attorney General James McHenry, and Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll . “We have grave concerns about the removal or reassignment across the DOJ and FBI of senior career civil servants who have served honorably under multiple administrations, regardless of the President’s party,” the 10 senators explained in a press release.

“The removals and reassignments from their positions of a significant number of experienced, nonpartisan Department officials with invaluable national security expertise without any comparable replacements one day into the second Trump Administration presents an alarming threat to national security.” Meanwhile, on Tuesday, CNN reported that the FBI has turned over the names of 5,000 individuals who worked on the Jan. 6 cases to the Trump administration’s Justice Department.

Even some Republicans are aghast by the purge. Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor and Trump ally before their public fallout , weighed in on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday. He said FBI officials “are stunned about what’s happening” and called it “incredibly dangerous” to national security.

“In the threat assessment we have right now across the world, to lose that many agents, and then take a year to a year-and-a-half to try to replace them, is incredibly dangerous for our national security,” Christie said . “And for what? Because they did their jobs.” The mounting backlash from Democratic lawmakers and former Republican allies shows just how unprecedented the gutting within the FBI and DOJ is.

With Patel at the center of scrutiny, concerns of political retribution and the erosion of nonpartisan law enforcement are reaching a boiling point. Daily Kos is different because we don't hold back, and we're not afraid to call out Trump. Chip in $5 to Daily Kos.

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