Republican Sen. Mike Rounds emphasized his support for current FBI Director Christopher Wray, whom President-elect Donald Trump intends to fire and replace with controversial loyalist Kash Patel.
“I think the president picked a very good man to be the director of the FBI when he did that in his first term,” Rounds told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl about Wray. “When we meet with him behind closed doors, I’ve had no objections to the way that he’s handled himself, and so I don’t have any complaints about the way that he’s done his job right now.”
However, Rounds reiterated the president-elect’s right to select his Cabinet and Trump’s selection of Patel is not surprising.
“It doesn’t surprise me that he will pick people that he believes are very loyal to himself, and that’s been a part of the process,” Rounds said. “Every president wants people that are loyal to themselves.”
Sen. Mike Rounds appears on “This Week,” Dec. 1, 2024.
ABC News
In his book “Government Gangsters,” Patel calls for a “comprehensive housecleaning” of the Justice Department and an eradication of “government tyranny” within the FBI, promising to fire and prosecute officials. Patel has also promoted conspiracy theories about the “Deep State” and vehemently defended Jan. 6 rioters.
The president-elect’s nomination of Patel confirms that he intends to fire Wray, who Trump appointed during his first term.
“The president has the right to make nominations, but normally these are for a 10-year term,” Rounds explained. “We’ll see what his process is and whether he actually makes that nomination.”
Rounds reiterated that although the Senate will give Trump the “benefit of the doubt,” it will uphold its “constitutional role” of “advice and consent.”
“We’ll get an opportunity, and the American people will have an opportunity to see both the questions that are raised and the answers that these nominees respond with,” Rounds promised.
Turning to global conflict, Rounds called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “tyrant” and suggested that negotiating with him may be futile.
“I think Mr. Putin is a tyrant. I think dealing with him is going to be extremely difficult,” Rounds said, expressing hope for Trump to succeed but recognizing that this would present a challenge for “any president.”
“I want to see Ukraine with its sovereignty protected,” he said, conveying his staunch support for Ukraine. “I just think it’s going to be a major, major task to overcome what Putin is offering.”
He added that you cannot trust “a guy that doesn’t honor their word,” which he says Putin has done.
In regard to Trump’s promise to slap 25% tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico, Rounds said the president-elect is a “successful businessman” who “really does believe that tariffs can be a great tool.”
“He thinks that by suggesting these tariffs right now, he’s going to get the attention of the leaders in the other countries,” Rounds said, adding that Trump believes the tariffs will “fix our borders.”
However, Rounds also recognized the demands of his constituents, particularly South Dakota farmers who could be affected by the tariffs.
In 2018, China retaliated to Trump’s tariffs by implementing tariffs on U.S. soybean exports that hurt U.S. farmers.
“Look, we’re an [agricultural] state. And when I talk to my farmers and to my ranchers about that, they’re concerned about retaliation,” Rounds said, though he added that they understand the importance of tariffs, especially when it comes to the border.
“If we’ve got to have tariffs, so be it,” he said. “We’re going to support the president.”