Sen. Lindsey Graham told CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that he is "ready" to vote to confirm Kash Patel as FBI director, saying that his confirmation hearing "will expose him to be a very qualified man of the law."

The South Carolina Republican said former Attorney General Bill Barr is wrong to say Patel "has virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world's preeminent law enforcement agency" and that the "idea of moving Patel into a role like this showed a shocking detachment from reality."

"I take my advice on Kash Patel from [former Republican Rep.] Trey Gowdy, dear friend from South Carolina, who worked with Kash," said Graham, who is a key ally of President-elect Donald Trump on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"Kash was a public defender. He was a prosecutor. He worked with Trey Gowdy about the Russia hoax.

"So I do think he has the experience. He has the trust of the president. Trey Gowdy is enthusiastically supporting Kash Patel, and that means a lot to me. I'm ready to vote for him because I know him, too."

Graham also had a tense interaction with the show's host, Margaret Brennan, when she asked about Patel's "going after journalists."

The senator replied, "You shouldn't worry about Kash Patel. You should worry about reporting the news fairly, which you don't do when it comes to everything Trump." 

Brennan responded by saying, "Lindsey Graham, you're a guest on this program because we wanted to hear you out. And we welcome you back, as we often do."

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