Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director, vowed on Thursday to protect FBI employees against "political retribution" even as the Trump administration has begun to fire and sideline Justice Department officials who were involved in investigations into the president.

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, is insisting to deeply skeptical Democrats that he did not have an “enemies list” and that the bureau under his leadership would not seek retribution against the president’s adversaries or launch politically motivated investigations.