Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) backed FBI Director Christopher Wray during a Sunday interview with ABC News’ “This Week.”

Rounds’ remarks come a day after President-elect Donald Trump announced his desired replacement for Wray’s position, Trump loyalist Kash Patel. Wray, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, is seven years into a 10-year term.

“Chris Wray, who the president nominated the first time around — I think the president picked a very good man to be the director of the FBI when he did that in his first term,” Rounds told journalist Jonathan Karl. “When we meet with him behind closed doors, I’ve had no objections to the way that he’s handled himself, and so I don’t have any complaints about the way that he’s done his job right now.”

Rounds added that he was unsurprised that Trump’s administration picks are “people that [Trump] believes are very loyal to himself, and that’s been a part of the process.”

“Every president wants people that are loyal to themselves,” Rounds continued.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gop-senator-defends-fbi-director-trump-wants-to-replace_n_674ca87fe4b0e9a096d068c4