Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn suggested that Democrats — including California’s Rep. Adam Schiff — are “fearful” of Kash Patel potentially being named FBI Director because he is deeply familiar with their involvement in the so-called “Russia collusion” narrative that dogged former President Donald Trump’s first term. During an interview with Fox News host Charlie Hurt, Blackburn said Patel’s insider knowledge poses a serious threat to those who helped push the allegations of collusion between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Moscow. “I think, too, they are very fearful of Kash Patel because Kash Patel knows what Adam Schiff and some of the others did with Russia collusion,” Blackburn told Hurt. “They know that he knows the dirt on them, if you will, and I think they’re fearful of what he’s going to do, what he’s going to reveal, and what he’s going to make known to the American people.” Hurt agreed, emphasizing Patel’s commitment to transparency and accountability within Washington. “They recognize that one thing Kash Patel is very devoted to is bringing transparency to what’s going on in Washington,” Hurt said, prompting Blackburn’s nod of agreement.

The conversation then turned to how Democrats might react to other Trump nominees, particularly Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is set to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who has also broken with her party on several issues. Hurt asked whether Democrats might seek to punish such figures for aligning with Trump. “Because I think you’re right,” Hurt said. “One of the things that really, really enrages them is that these are former Democrats, and they feel like they have to— it just drives them crazy that these are Democrats who found a way to work on common-sense solutions with President Trump.” Blackburn agreed, arguing that political retribution was already underway. “You’re exactly right about that,” she replied. “It does make them angry, and so they’re wanting to punish them. The way they can punish them is to withhold their vote or slow down their nomination.” The Tennessee senator went on to praise Kennedy’s expected performance as HHS Secretary. “RFK Jr. is going to do a great job at HHS,” Blackburn said. “He’s going to help us find these 300,000 children. I’ve been trying to find these kids since it was 75,000, and the Biden administration has never responded to where these children are. RFK is going to get in there, rework CMS with Dr. [Mehmet] Oz, and work with [Dr.] Marty Makary to straighten out the FDA.

He’s going to work with Dr. [Jay] Bhattacharya at NIH.” Blackburn added that the new team would usher in long-awaited transparency surrounding the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. “You’re going to see transparency,” she said. “People want to know what really happened with COVID. I think we’re going to be able to find out what happened.” Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford University professor of health policy, was one of the most prominent critics of federal pandemic policies. He gained national attention as a plaintiff in Murthy v. Missouri, a Supreme Court case in which he argued the government had “unfairly censored” him and others on social media for questioning official COVID narratives. According to the Consortium of Social Science Associations, while the case drew national scrutiny, it was ultimately unsuccessful in a 6–3 ruling. Trump praised his NIH pick, saying: “Dr. Bhattacharya will work in cooperation with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to direct the Nation’s Medical Research, and to make important discoveries that will improve health and save lives.” As for Patel, his background reflects extensive experience in national security and counterintelligence.

A former federal prosecutor, he was appointed as senior counsel on counterterrorism for the House Select Committee on Intelligence in 2017 and later served as senior director of the Counterterrorism Directorate at the National Security Council in 2019. Patel also worked closely with then-Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) when Nunes chaired the House Intelligence Committee, playing a central role in the panel’s investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. He was instrumental in drafting the 2018 Nunes memo, which accused the FBI of misconduct in obtaining a surveillance warrant against a Trump campaign aide. For Blackburn, Patel’s record of confronting intelligence abuses — and his willingness to challenge Washington’s entrenched bureaucracy — is precisely why Democrats are nervous about his potential nomination. “They know he’s not afraid to shine a light on what really happened,” Blackburn said. “That’s what scares them the most.”