Tempers flared on Capitol Hill as FBI Director Kash Patel endured his first Senate oversight hearing, trading insults and shouting over lawmakers in a session that often resembled a political brawl more than a policy review. What was billed as a chance to examine the bureau’s handling of crime and national security quickly became a showcase of bitter partisanship, with Patel’s clashes with Senators Cory Booker and Adam Schiff dominating proceedings.The session was meant to scrutinise Patel’s leadership of the FBI, but quickly descended into personal confrontations. Republicans praised Patel as a reformer restoring the bureau’s law enforcement mission, while Democrats accused him of undermining its integrity and carrying out Trump’s political agenda. Patel pushed back, accusing his critics of grandstanding and insisting his record proved otherwise.
Patel vs Schiff: insults traded in heated row
One of the most explosive moments came during Patel’s exchange with Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California. Patel shouted over Schiff, declaring: “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.”Schiff shot back: “You can make an internet troll the FBI director, but he will always be an internet troll.”The insults echoed their long-running feud, dating back to Schiff’s time leading inquiries into Trump and Patel’s tenure as a Republican staffer. Despite repeated attempts by Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to restore order, Patel continued to raise his voice, accusing Democrats of ignoring the FBI’s “historic results” under his watch.Patel defended his agency’s record, pointing to swift arrests in violent crime cases, seizures of thousands of weapons, and the capture of suspected child predators. He also rejected claims that he was retaliating against Trump critics, dismissing reports of an “enemies list” as “an entirely inaccurate presupposition.”
Booker accuses Patel of ‘generational destruction’
Patel also locked horns with Democratic Senator Cory Booker, who accused him of overseeing a “generational destruction of the nation’s premier law enforcement agency.” Booker charged that Patel’s leadership failures had left Americans more vulnerable to both domestic and foreign threats.Patel angrily interrupted, calling Booker’s claims a “rant of false information” and firing back that the senator was an “embarrassment.” Booker warned Patel that his days at the FBI helm were numbered, telling him: “Trump will cut you loose. This may be the last time I have a hearing with you.”Patel rejected the suggestion that he owed his position solely to loyalty to Trump, insisting his career was built on experience in law and government. “There was no loyalty then. There’s no loyalty now to anything but the Constitution,” he said.
Firings, political violence and Kirk killing
Much of the questioning centred on recent FBI firings of senior agents, which Democrats described as politically motivated purges. Patel defended the dismissals, saying they were based on failure to uphold constitutional standards, not retaliation.The killing of Charlie Kirk also loomed large. Patel faced criticism for prematurely posting on social media that “the subject” was in custody when the suspect was still at large. He conceded he could have phrased the update more carefully but rejected suggestions that it was a mistake.
