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.

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

Patel is a controversial nominee, having long raged against the so-called Deep State and prioritized his loyalty to Trump.