The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to confirm Kash Patel as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, placing him atop the nation’s federal law enforcement agency.

Patel cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee last week by a 12-10 party-line vote and advanced Thursday morning after the GOP-controlled Senate broke a filibuster and then confirmed him by a 51-49 vote. Sens. Susan Collins, of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, were the only Republican holdouts.

“The American people deserve an FBI that is transparent, accountable, and committed to justice. The politicalization of our justice system has eroded public trust—but that ends today,” Patel said in an X post. “My mission as Director is clear: let good cops be cops—and rebuild trust in the FBI.”

In addition to Patel’s confirmation, a Senate committee advanced Linda McMahon’s nomination for education secretary. See Page 9

Here are more Trump administration headlines from Thursday:

Pardon czar: Alice Marie Johnson, who spent more than two decades serving life without parole for a nonviolent drug offense before Trump pardoned her in 2020, was among the guests at a Black History Month reception Thursday at the White House. Trump called out her name in his remarks and said he would bring her into the administration. “She’s going to be my pardon czar,” he said. What the role would entail is unclear.

Ukraine: U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said Thursday Ukraine needs to “tone it down” after its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said President Donald Trump is living in a “disinformation space.” Waltz, referring to what he called “bad-mouthing,” said that the behavior is unacceptable. He expressed the need for the country’s government to agree to a potential deal to end the war with Russia. See Page 6

Executive orders: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says Trump has signed 73 executive orders in his first month as president. Among the executive orders Trump has signed are efforts to eliminate birthright citizenship, gain more presidential control over the federal bureaucracy and workforce, and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion measures.

DEI at HUD: The Trump administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development plans to revoke $4 million worth of diversity, equity and inclusion contracts, Secretary Scott Turner announced Thursday. “This is money that should go to serve the American people and also time well spent to serve the people we’re called to serve,” Turner said. “DEI here at HUD is dead.”

— From wire and Sinclair National Desk reports