&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Kash Patel denies politicising FBI as hearing turns into war of words: 'Liar,' 'buffoon,' 'false rant'")
FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday (Sep 16) pushed back hard against accusations from Senate Democrats that his removal of senior FBI agents was politically motivated, insisting he had no plans to step down despite reports of unease in the White House over his leadership. "I'm not going anywhere. If you want to criticise my 16 years of service, bring it on," Patel said in his opening remarks before the Senate judiciary committee, where he faced lawmakers for the first time since his February confirmation. What followed was a tense, four-hour hearing marked by angry exchanges.
Kash Patel hearing turns into a war of words
Patel accused Democrats of "weaponising intelligence," at one point calling California senator Adam Schiff "a liar" and "a political buffoon at best" after being pressed about the transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell to a lower-security prison. He insisted he had no role in that decision and that a court order prevented him from releasing more documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
FBI agents who investigated Trump were fired?
Other Democrats questioned Patel's fitness for the job, citing lawsuits by three fired senior FBI officials who allege the bureau has been politicised. According to the lawsuit, they also claim that at one point Kash Patel stated that he had been instructed to fire agents who investigated Trump. Patel refused to comment on the allegations, saying they were the subject of litigation, but said terminations were only made when agents violated their oath, broke the law, or failed to meet bureau standards.
"The only way, generally speaking, an individual is terminated at the FBI is if they have violated their oath of office, violated the law, or failed to uphold the standards that we need them to have at the FBI," he said.
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"I don't think you're fit to head the bureau," Senator Cory Booker told him, predicting Patel was "not going to be around long. I think this might be your last oversight hearing".
Patel shot back: "That rant of false information does not bring this country together".
Patel also resisted providing figures on how many agents had been fired, resigned, or retired since Trump became POTUS, accusing Hawaii senator Mazie Hirono of seeking a "media hit" rather than answers.
Patel is due to appear Wednesday (Sep 17) before the House Judiciary Committee, where Democrats have signalled plans to press him further on Epstein and the bureau's independence.
