This week, FBI Director Kash Patel was called to the Hill to testify about the work of the FBI under his leadership.
Patel took off the gloves and has been punching back at every Democrat who has come after him.
This is the complete opposite of what we saw during his confirmation hearings, and I, for one, love it.
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) is one of the biggest attention hounds in Congress, so you just knew he was going to try to light it up with Patel before his committee.
Remember, this is the man who was treated like a hero for talking nonstop for more than a day to filibuster legislation.
Booker accused Patel of making our country “weaker and less safe” even though Patel has been knocking it out of the park in sting operation arrests, Then he added, "I think this might be your last oversight hearing, because 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 in his first term, and in this term, he is not loyal to people like you."
Patel responded, "That rant of false information does not bring this country together. It's my time, not yours." Booker was fuming, responding, “My God! My God,” but it was Patel who clearly won this joust.
By now, I am sure you have likely seen the confrontation between Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Patel.
This was what I had hoped to see during Patel’s confirmation hearing, but he played it safe to get through the committee.
Schiff just kept hammering away until Patel had enough, then he just snapped, telling Schiff he was the “biggest fraud to ever sit in the United States Senate” as well as calling him a “political buffoon.”
Patel made it quite clear that he was not going to be a punching bag while sitting in the hot seat.
Rep. Eric Swalwell apparently did not watch the Senate hearings, as he decided to pick a fight with Patel as well, and it did not go so well for him. Swalwell, like the others, focused on the Epstein files. Patel finally hit him back, stating, "Your fixation on this matter and baseless accusations that I'm hiding child pedophiles is disgusting.”
After several back-and-forth exchanges, Swalwell stated, "Director, you've played this cute shell game where you say you can't release everything because the court has said that it legally is not allowed to be released, but the court calls bulls**t.”
Patel shot back, "I’m going to borrow your terminology and call bullsh**t on your entire career in Congress. It has been a disgrace to the American people.”
I am not sure where everyone else stands on this, but as I have admitted, I love it. I love seeing him not just sitting there like a deer in the headlights, like he did during the confirmation process. I am sick and tired of Senators and Representatives thinking they can fire off shots like this and not be called out. Not to mention, I just happen to think Patel has done a fairly good job thus far.
