Republican Senator Mike Rounds has emphasized his support for President-elect FBI Director Christopher Wray. Donald Trump He plans to fire and replace him with controversial loyalist Kash Patel.
“I think the president picked a very good man to be FBI director when he did that in his first term,” Rounds told ABC’s “This Week’s” Jonathan Karl about Wray. “When we meet with him behind closed doors, I have had no objection to the way he conducts himself, so I have no complaints about the way he does his job now.”
However, Rounds has reiterated the president-elect’s right to choose his cabinet, and Trump’s selection of Patel is no surprise.
“It doesn’t surprise me that they pick people who are very true to themselves, and that’s been part of the process,” Rounds said. “Every president wants people who are true to themselves.”
Senator Mike Rounds appears on “This Week” on December 1, 2024.
ABC News
In his book “Government Gangsters,” Patel calls for a “comprehensive housecleaning” of the Justice Department and the 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 the January 6 riots.
The president-elect’s nomination of Patel confirms that Trump plans to fire Wray, who he appointed in his first term.
“The president has the right to make appointments, but usually they are for a 10-year term,” explained Rounds. “We’ll see what his process is and if he actually makes that appointment.”
Rounds reiterated that while the Senate will give Trump the “benefit of the doubt,” it will maintain its “constitutional role” of “consultation and consensus.”
“We will have an opportunity, and the American people will have an opportunity to see both the questions that are being asked and the answers that these candidates are answering,” Rounds said.
Addressing the 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 he’s going to be very difficult to deal with,” Rounds said, expressing hope that Trump would succeed, but acknowledging that would present a challenge “for any president.”
“I want to see Ukraine’s sovereignty protected,” he said, expressing his firm support for Ukraine. “I think it’s going to be an important, important task to overcome what Putin has to offer.”
He added that you can’t trust “a guy who doesn’t keep his word,” which Putin says he has done.
As for Trump’s promise to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican imports, Rounds said the president-elect is a “successful businessman” who “really believes 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 of other countries,” Rounds said, adding that Trump believes the tariffs will “fix our borders.”
However, Rounds also acknowledged the demands of his constituents, especially South Dakota farmers who could be affected by the tariffs.
In 2018, China retaliated against Trump’s tariffs by imposing tariffs on US soybean exports that hurt US farmers.
“Look, we are an (agricultural) state. And when I talk to farmers and ranchers about it, they’re concerned about retaliation,” Rounds said, though he added that they understand the importance of tariffs, especially on the border.
“If we have to have tariffs, so be it,” he said. “We will support the president.”
