Patel, like Trump, has taken a different view, saying the rioters have been mistreated by the criminal justice system. A former federal public defender and prosecutor, he has called them “political prisoners” and offered on at least one occasion to represent them for free.

As Republicans' take on the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection evolved from disapproving to defensive, Kash Patel played a role in reframing their position.

Rachel Maddow takes a closer look at Donald Trump's pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, who several of his past colleagues from the first Trump administration warn has a tendency to make stuff up.