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It did not take long at all for Wray to win over the Democratic senators — a rarity since Democrats have made a point of uniformly resisting and obstructing many of Trump’s nominees for Cabinet and administrative positions.

“I’ll be very candid with you, I’m going to vote yes,” Sen. Dianne Feinsten (D-Calif.) told reporters during a break in the hearing. “I see him as being a good FBI director. How good, the proof’s always in the pudding. It’s always when you’re there. It’s always the nature of the job and how you handle the unexpected. But I think in this man, we have somebody who understands the process of justice, who is committed to the appropriate and positive process, is committed to the law of the Constitution and the people, and who does not look at himself as a servant of the chief executive.”

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Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told Wray during the hearing itself that “You and I have talked about the need for the FBI to be as independent and immune from political interference as possible because I foresee a firestorm brewing that will threaten the FBI.”

“And I am going to support you because I do believe that you will provide the kind of independence and integrity that the FBI needs, based on your record and your experience and expertise,” Blumenthal said. He added that he and his colleagues “will be counting on you to protect the FBI, which is an institution of such professional excellence and integrity that it is worth any person’s career to defend.”[lz_pagination]