Touched parents' feet, praised Hindu deity: 5 highlights from Kash Patel's FBI nomination hearing

3. ‘QAnon’ conspiracy theory re-emerges in Grassley exchange

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, questioned Patel about "QAnon," a conspiracy theory started during President Donald Trump's first administration which claims, among other things, that a ring of Satan-worshiping pedophiles is running the government, Hollywood, the media and the Democratic Party.

In the past, Patel has been accused of promoting "QAnon" by sharing images of the letter Q, promoting the account "@q" on Trump's Truth Social platform, and signing copies of his children's book with the motto "WWG1WGA" or "Where we go one, we go all," a phrase linked to the QAnon conspiracy theory.

When Grassley asked Patel, "Are you a follower or promoter of QAnon?" Patel replied, "No, senator. In fact, I have publicly, including in the interviews provided to this committee, rejected outright QAnon baseless conspiracy theories." 

Patel was quoted by The New York Times as saying in a 2022 interview that the "Q thing is a movement a lot of people attach themselves to," but it's unclear whether his remarks refer specifically to "QAnon."

"I disagree with a lot of what that movement says, but I agree with a lot of what that movement says," the Times reported Patel as saying.