Bhubaneswar, Feb. 22 -- Indian-American Kash Patel, 44, was sworn in as the ninth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday, following a narrow 51-49 Senate confirmation vote. Two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, joined Democrats in opposing his nomination.

Patel took the oath at Washington's Indian Treaty Room, clutching a Bhagavad Gita held by his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, 26, a country music artist and conservative commentator.

Alexis Wilkins, dressed in an all-white ensemble, stood beside Patel's family during the swearing-in, which was officiated by Attorney General Pam Bondi. She later shared a video of the moment on her X account, captioning it with pride.

The couple, dating for over...