During their confirmation hearings on Thursday, two of US President Donald Trump’s picks for top intelligence and law enforcement positions outlined contrasting approaches to addressing China’s threat to national security.
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Kash Patel, nominated to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, took a hawkish stance, identifying as key priorities if he is confirmed China’s espionage operations and its involvement in the influx of deadly synthetic drugs.
In contrast, Tulsi Gabbard, nominated for national intelligence director, played down concerns over the Chinese-owned app TikTok, saying she did not view it as a significant national security threat – a more measured approach to China’s influence.
The twin confirmation hearings on Thursday brought two of Trump’s most controversial nominees to the Senate. Patel, who has spent years criticising the FBI as “one of the most cunning and powerful forces of the Deep State”, struggled to convince Democratic senators that he was the right candidate to lead the agency.
And Gabbard, an Army veteran and former representative from Hawaii with no intelligence experience, faced sceptical questioning on her fitness for the post, which supervises all 18 US intelligence agencies.
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Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patel emphasised the growing threat posed by China’s intelligence operations and vowed to ramp up efforts to counter them, particularly in safeguarding critical infrastructure and combating the trafficking of illicit drugs.