Washington DC - The Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday confirmed Kash Patel, a staunch loyalist of President Donald Trump, to be director of the FBI, the country's top law enforcement agency.

Patel (44) – whose nomination sparked fierce but ultimately futile opposition from Democrats – was approved by a 51-49 vote.

The vote was split along party lines with the exception of two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who voted not to confirm Patel to head the 38,000-strong Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Patel drew some fire from Democrats for his promotion of conspiracy theories, his defense of pro-Trump rioters who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and his vow to root out members of a supposed "deep state" plotting to oppose the Republican president.

Donald Trump Trump administration backs down from plan to scrap free Covid tests

The Senate has approved all of Trump's cabinet picks so far, underscoring his iron grip on the Republican Party.

Among them is Tulsi Gabbard, confirmed as the nation's spy chief despite past support for adversarial nations including Russia and Syria, and vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.