Kash Patel vs Democrats at Senate hearing: ‘Biggest fraud’, ‘internet troll’: Who said what

The hearing largely focused on Kash Patel’s handling of two big cases — the recent assassination of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk and the alleged trafficking of young women to other people by convicted sex offender Jefferey Epstein, among many others. The hearing also saw fiery discussions on ‘unprecedented’ purging of some FBI officials.

What democrats said

Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking democrat on the committee, said that Patel has inflicted “untold damage” on the US’ federal probe agency and has put national security and public safety at risk, with “unprecedented purge of FBI officials.”

Also filed: ‘Trump will cut you loose’: Tempers flare at FBI chief Kash Patel’s hearing after Charlie Kirk assassination

This criticism was furthered by another democrat senator Cory Booker, who said that firing of experienced FBI agents who worked on old cases against US President Donald Trump, including US Capitol riots and others, had made the US “weaker and less safe”. He even went on to say that Patel is “not going to be around long”.

“As much as you supplicate yourself to the will of Donald Trump — and not the Constitution of the United States of America — Donald Trump has shown us… he is not loyal to people like you. He will cut you loose,” Booker said.

This comes after five agents and executives working at the FBI were fired last month.

Booker also said that he believed Patel was failing as a leader of the FBI. “Your failure does have serious implications for the safety and security of Americans and our families…We’re more vulnerable to domestic and foreign attack because of your failures of leadership.”

Also read: ‘Promoting himself’: US senator raps Kash Patel over Charlie Kirk murder probe

Patel was also called an “internet troll” by senator Adam Schiff of California. “You can make an internet troll the FBI director, but he will always be an internet troll,” Schiff said.

What Kash Patel said

Lashing out at Schiff during a heated exchange, Patel called him an “utter coward” and a “disgrace” to the US senate. “You are the biggest fraud to ever sit in the United States Senate, you are a disgrace to this institution and you are an utter coward,” Patel said.

While facing questions about the purging of FBI officials and allegations that he is following orders from the White House, Patel sought to angrily defend himself and said, “Anyone that is terminated at the FBI, as I’ve said before, is done so because they failed to meet the standards and uphold their loyalty and oath to the Constitution.”

Patel also said that he does not “have an enemies list.”

“The only actions we take, generally speaking, for personnel at the FBI are ones based on merit and qualification and your ability to uphold your constitutional duty. You fall short, you don’t work there anymore,” he said.

Patel also faced questions on his handling of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, particularly over announcing just hours after the crime that the subject has been taken into custody only to say some time later that the person has been released since no connection was found.

“Could I have been more careful in my verbiage and included ‘a’ subject instead of subject? Sure,” Patel said.

He also went on to defend his handling of Kirk’s assassination, highlighting that the suspect was taken into custody within 33 hours of the crime.

He also defended his FBI leadership and asked the Senate, “If the FBI under my seven-month leadership were failing this administration and this country, why do we have 23,000 violent felons arrested this year alone?”

“Why is it that we have seized 6,000 weapons? Why have we found 1,500 child predators and arrested them?”

While talking about his handling of a probe against Epstein, Patel said that there was no credible information in law enforcement files that Epstein trafficked young girls to other people. “There is no credible information, none…If there were I would bring the case yesterday that he trafficked to other individuals,” he said.

Patel will now testify before the House judiciary committee on Wednesday.

(With inputs from AFP, AP)