Watch Live: Kash Patel confirmation hearing for FBI director

Grassley, an Iowa Republican, opened the hearing by offering prayers to those who died in the plane crash in the Potomac late Wednesday night. 

“This is a horrible, hard-to-understand disaster that demands answers,” he said.

Turning to Patel’s nomination, Grassley highlighted his background and stressed that it positions him well to lead the FBI.

“Mr. Patel’s career has been a study in fighting unpopular but righteous causes, exposing corruption and putting America first,” he said.

Grassley warned that public trust in the FBI has declined and said the bureau has been plagued by abuse, lack of transparency, and weaponization.

“It’s your job to restore the public trust and return the FBI to its core mission of fighting crime,” he said.

Grassley also refuted the claims that Patel has a so-called enemies list. In his book, Patel lists the names of more than 50 former or current U.S. officials who he believes are part of the “deep state,” leading to concerns by his critics that he could use his position as FBI director to target them with investigations.

But Grassley told the panel that an “enemies list” is “not a fair characterization.”

“Mr. Patel has identified those he believes have put politics and personal ambition over service to the country,” he said. “He has called out those who’ve used the institutions like the FBI to achieve their own personal gain. Mr. Patel has said he believes that people who do this should be named, and that Americans deserve transparency so that they can make their own judgment, as they did in this last election.”

He called other attacks against Patel “unfounded,” and said he has the qualifications needed to lead the FBI at this time.

“Should you be confirmed, you’ll take charge of an FBI that is in crisis,” Grassley said.