WASHINGTON — Kash Patel took a more measured tone at his confirmation hearing Thursday than the pro-MAGA bravado he displayed on social media and as a frequent guest on conservative shows in recent years, as he sought to lock in Republican support for his bid to lead the FBI.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee spent large portions of the hearing needling him with questions about his history of controversial statements on podcasts, in speeches and online, but Patel parried those inquiries throughout the hours-long hearing.

Patel often said the comments had been taken out of context or were only fragments of the full picture. Among them were a pitch to shut down the FBI’s Washington headquarters and turn it into a museum of the “deep state,” and his past comments about people arrested for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., was one of several Democrats who zeroed in on the disconnect between several of Patel’s past comments and what happened at the hearing.

“There is an unfathomable difference between a seeming facade being constructed around this nominee here today, and what he has actually done and said in real life when left to his own devices,” Whitehouse said.

Patel countered: “In the collective, all of those statements were taken out of grotesque context,” Patel said.

“The only thing that will matter if I’m confirmed as a director of the FBI is a de-weaponized, depoliticized system of law enforcement completely devoted to rigorous obedience to the Constitution and a singular standard of justice,” he added moments later.

Patel still largely stuck to pro-Trump policy positions and messages. He declined an opportunity to say former President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and used his opening statement to emphasize the need to fight violent crime.

Republicans largely stood behind President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the large investigative agency, and he avoided the kind of answer that might jeopardize support among the GOP senators. Democrats alone do not have enough votes to stop his confirmation.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley sought to defend Trump’s pick for FBI director, saying in his opening statements that Patel’s career “has been a study in fighting unpopular but righteous causes, exposing corruption and putting America first.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., poked fun at the arguments from Democrats at the hearing by holding up what he called a “Kash BINGO card,” with the square boxes populated with points Patel might get questioned about. He said some people were there just to push a false narrative.

“At worst, they may be just going through an unfounded litany of quotes and half quotes and half-truths, some of which have already been dispelled by the chairman after the opening statements,” Tillis said.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., during her initial round of questioning, pressed Patel on multiple statements he had made in the past, which Patel had said he didn’t recall or wanted more context.

So Klobuchar used her subsequent round of questioning to focus on one statement, Patel’s response to a question on a March 2024 podcast about whether Capitol Police officers didn’t tell the truth to a now-disbanded House select committee on the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.

“Patel: ‘No, not just them, many others, and lying under oath is a federal offense, and they should be investigated for it.’ Do you believe that about the police officers?” Klobuchar said to Patel.

“That’s a general statement and a mischaracterization of what I said. I encourage you to read the rest of the interview,” Patel responded. “This is why snippets of information are often misleading and detrimental to this committee’s advice and consent process.”

“If you consent, I would love to have five hours of questions, and then I could read the whole transcripts,” Klobuchar said.

“You’ve got two minutes,” Patel said.

“Wow,” Klobuchar said.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called attention to a social media post from Patel in which the nominee referred to Jan. 6 defendants as “political prisoners,” despite them being afforded due process protections. The post also referenced a song by the “J6 Prison Choir.”

“This powerful and moving song raises awareness and support for the political prisoners still locked in jail without trial following the January 6th protest in 2021,” the post said.

Patel, at the hearing, said he didn’t know everyone in the “J6 choir.”

Patel later added that he would “always utilize my resources to help Americans in need, which is what I was trying to do here.”

“And I have never once advocated for political violence or violence against law enforcement,” he said.

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