An exchange between Kash Patel and Senator Cory Booker broke down into a wild screaming match as both men lobbed insults during a hearing on Capitol Hill after the senator suggested the FBI director would soon be fired.
Patel was already on the defensive when he appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee before he came face-to-face with the New Jersey Democrat.
During his time for questioning, Booker grilled Patel and accused him of carrying out a retribution campaign by firing top FBI officials and purging the bureau of serious, qualified officials.
“It really makes me wonder who you’re really looking out for? It makes me think we can’t trust you as a nation. You swear to release the Epstein files, but now you’re withholding the Epstein files. You claim that you have a suspect in a serious assassination, woops, then you don’t have a suspect. You know nothing about plans to remove FBI agents, yet you’re directly involved in those plans,” Booker laid into Patel.
The senator accused the FBI director of failing as a leader, insulting the bureau’s integrity, and claimed that it had profound implications for Americans’ safety. He called him unfit before suggesting his days as top cop were limited.
“I think you’re not going to be around long. I think this might be your last oversight hearing,” Booker said. “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 his second term, he is not loyal to people like you. He will cut you loose.”
It came on Tuesday after Trump was asked if he had confidence in Patel and responded by praising Attorney General Pam Bondi instead. Hours later, Booker did not stop there, lobbing a final line before concluding his time.
“I don’t think you’re long for your job, but I’m going to tell you this: I pray for you,” Booker said. “I pray for you that you can step up and defend your oath, defend the Constitution and do a much better job of defending this country.”
Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley gave Patel the final word, and that’s when their exchange turned into a screaming match.
“That rant of false information does not bring this country together,” the FBI director shot back.
When Booker tried to cut in, Patel insisted, “It’s my time, not yours.” The senator did not take kindly to the accusation.
“My god, you’re going to lecture me about dividing this country? I follow you on your social media posts that tear this country apart,” Booker yelled, pointing at Patel as the FBI director insisted, “It is my time.”
“It is my time to address your falsehoods that are an embarrassment to the division in this country,” Patel shot back.
The pair started screaming over each other. Booker told Patel to take responsibility, while the FBI director again insisted it was his time and said, while also pointing his finger back at Booker, “Your time is over.”
“Sir, you don’t tell me that my time is over. The people of New Jersey tell me what my time is,” the senator fired back. “You can’t lecture me.”
“You can tell me my time is over? I’m not going anywhere,” Patel yelled back.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Booker declared as others tried to bring the chamber back to order.
Grassley, in the end, admonished Booker and Patel for talking over each other. Booker shot back that he had watched Patel talk over lawmakers and accused the 92-year-old chairman of never once criticizing the director for not letting senators get their questions out.
“He has been rude and disrespectful to senator after senator,” Booker told his GOP colleague.
Grassley did not take kindly to it, pointing out that when the senators spoke over Patel, he did not stop the senators either. In the end, he gave Patel the chance to defend himself.
The FBI director questioned how the bureau and his leadership were failing when it had arrested thousands of violent felons and ran through other statistics.
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