Sen. Mike Rounds Sunday defended current FBI Director Christopher Wray, who President-elect Donald Trump has signaled he intends to replace with Kash Patel.
"I think the president picked a very good man to be the director of the FBI when he did that in his first term," the South Dakota Republican told ABC News'"This Week" about Wray, who Trump nominated in 2017. "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."
FBI directors, unless fired, are to serve 10-year terms in office, but Rounds stressed that a president-elect has the right to select cabinet members.
"We'll see what his process is and whether he actually makes that nomination," he said.
Further, he said he is not surprised that Trump would pick Patel.
"It doesn't surprise me that he will pick people that he believes are very loyal to himself, and that's been a part of the process," the senator said. "Every president wants people that are loyal to themselves."
The Senate, meanwhile, will uphold its constitutional role of "advice and consent" while the confirmation process goes on for Trump's picks, even while giving him the "benefit of the doubt," said Rounds.
In other news, Rounds expressed some doubt that Trump's promises to end the Russia-Ukraine would happen quickly, as dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be a challenge for any president.
"I think Mr. Putin is a tyrant," he said. "I think dealing with him is going to be extremely difficult."
He added that he strongly supports Ukraine and wants its sovereignty to remain protected, but he believes it will be a "major, major task to overcome what Putin is offering."
Rounds also Sunday discussed Trump's threat to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada Mexico, and other nations, saying that his constituents in South Dakota, an agricultural state, are concerned that other countries will retaliate.
Still, he said they understand the call for tariffs, because "we’re going to support the president."