--- title: Christopher Wray FBI Senate Hearing: Read Opening Statement description: President Donald Trump's pick to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Christopher Wray, had his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday. canonical: https://time.com/4854611/christopher-wray-fbi-donald-trump-senate-confirmation-hearing/ author: Alana Abramson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-07-12T14:56:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T16:31:21.192Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump FBI Pick: 'My Loyalty Is to the Constitution' og:description: Read Christopher Wray's opening statement to the Senate here og:url: https://time.com/4854611/christopher-wray-fbi-donald-trump-senate-confirmation-hearing/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt143d00d240f373b2/6988d550096a942fed69ebac/gettyimages-813281380.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Senate Judiciary Committee Holds Hearing For FBI Director Nominee Christopher Wray og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump FBI Pick: 'My Loyalty Is to the Constitution' twitter:description: Read Christopher Wray's opening statement to the Senate here twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt143d00d240f373b2/6988d550096a942fed69ebac/gettyimages-813281380.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'My Loyalty Is to the Constitution.' Read Trump FBI Pick Christopher Wray's Opening Statement  by [Alana Abramson](/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Jul 12, 2017 2:56 PM CUT  Christopher Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) nominee for U.S. President Donald Trump, listens during a Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, July 12, 2017. Christopher Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) nominee for U.S. President Donald Trump, listens during a Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, July 12, 2017.Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images  by [Alana Abramson](/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Jul 12, 2017 2:56 PM CUT [President Donald Trump’s](http://time.com/4854413/bastille-day-2017-donald-trump-macron-france-paris/ "undefined") pick to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation, [Christopher Wray,](http://time.com/4808765/christopher-wray-donald-trump-fbi-director/ "undefined") headed to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for his Senate confirmation hearing. FBI Directors are typically appointed to decade-long terms in an effort to ensure non-partisanship. Wray was clearly anticipating questions from committee members about his ability to retain the independence of the agency after Trump’s [controversial firing of James Comey.](http://time.com/4852242/james-comey-classified-memo-daniel-richman/ "undefined") “My loyalty is to the Constitution and the rule of law,” Wray said in his opening remarks. Here is the full transcript of Christopher Wray’s opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee: --- > “” --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4854611/christopher-wray-fbi-donald-trump-senate-confirmation-hearing/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4854611/christopher-wray-fbi-donald-trump-senate-confirmation-hearing/"},"headline":"'My Loyalty Is to the Constitution.' 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