As Republicans' take on the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection evolved from disapproving to defensive, Kash Patel played a role in reframing their position.

Patel, like Trump, has taken a different view, saying the rioters have been mistreated by the criminal justice system. A former federal public defender and prosecutor, he has called them “political prisoners” and offered on at least one occasion to represent them for free.

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, is to encounter deeply skeptical questioning from Democratic senators about his loyalty to the president and stated desire to overhaul the bu