Washington DC [US], February 21 : At a reception honouring Black History Month, US President Donald Trump highlighted significant milestones, including the confirmation of Kash Patel as the new FBI Director.
He also highlighted the increasing representation of Black Republicans in the US House, noting it's the highest number since 1870.
Trump on Thursday said, "Voting for Agriculture Secretary was a little easier than some of our people, but they were all approved. Today, we just had Kash Patel approved (as FBI Director)."
Trump also spoke about the upcoming 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, expressing a commitment to recognising the contributions of Black Americans in protecting and expanding freedom.
"We have more black Republicans serving in the US House than at any time since 1870... The Americans are going to be celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding, and when we do, we will look forward to honouring the contributions of countless black Americans who fought to win, protect, and expand American freedom from the very beginning," Trump said.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk, Head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and CEO of Tesla, also congratulated Kash Patel on being confirmed as the 9th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
{{{{twitter_post_id####}}}}Congratulations! https://t.co/JcdfyWwZP5— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 20, 2025
Following his confirmation by the Senate on Thursday as director of the FBI, Patel, an ally of President Trump, expressed his gratitude and vowed to rebuild the agency into one that is "transparent, accountable, and committed to justice."
Patel thanked President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi for their support and emphasised his commitment to restoring public trust in the FBI.
While the nomination faced opposition from Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, Patel received backing from the rest of the Republican Party, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had previously opposed other Trump nominees, according to NBC News.
The confirmation passed with a narrow 51-49 vote, as all Senate Democrats voted against him.
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