“You damn well better preserve records, because we're going to be investigating all these hundreds of wrongful terminations, and we're going to hold you accountable. … I fully expect that he will lie to the Congress and hope that he doesn't get caught – but we will be investigating. … None of it passes the smell test.
Back to stories
Kash Patel Tells the Senate Judiciary Committee the FBI Dropped Its Automatic Bar on Applicants With Bestiality Histories Because "We Did Not Want to Punish Victims" — John Kennedy Asks "What Planet Did You Parachute In From?," and When Cory Booker Calls Him "a Mockery," Patel Answers "You Are the Biggest Mockery in the United States Senate"
September 15, 2026
On September 15, 2026, FBI Director Kash Patel appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for its annual oversight hearing, seven weeks before the midterm elections. Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) opened by crediting Patel with managing "many challenges, both internal and external." Ranking member Dick Durbin (D-IL) called him "the least qualified and most partisan FBI director in our nation's history," accusing him of turning the bureau toward the president's grievances, including false claims about the 2020 election, and of having "gutted" hiring standards. The hiring standards dominated much of the hearing. CBS News had reported that the FBI no longer automatically disqualifies applicants who have engaged in bestiality or sex solicitation. Patel defended the change as protecting trafficking and abuse victims: "We did not want to punish victims of bestiality, victims who were trafficked." Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) asked why Patel had not asked the official who recommended it "what planet did you parachute in from?" Senators also pressed Patel over The Atlantic's reporting on his drinking, which he denies and over which he has sued the magazine; his use of a government jet to attend the Winter Olympics in Italy; the removal of agents who worked on Iran; and the midterms. Asked by Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) to pledge not to interfere with the November election, Patel said he would "not participate in your charade of lies." After Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) called him an "incompetent lackey," the two traded insults, with Patel telling Booker "You are the biggest mockery in the United States Senate, and you're sitting next to Schiff."
11
Statements Recorded
See what your representatives said?
11 Statements
“You are the biggest mockery in the United States Senate, and you're sitting next to Schiff.
“[Asked to pledge not to interfere with the November election:] I pledge unequivocally that I will not participate in your charade of lies.
“We did not want to punish victims of bestiality, victims who were trafficked. We did not want to make it an automatic disqualification for the FBI to consider you if you were a victim of these awful, heinous acts.
“This is what the Democrats do on the Hill. They don't want to participate in the most prolific reduction in violent crime in U.S. history, thanks to President Trump. … We are not here for the cacophony of the United States Senate and the Democrats and their radical lunacy.
“It's not an easy task, managing both internal and external forces while at the same time, repairing the damage done by your predecessors.
“Mr. Patel is the least qualified and most partisan FBI director in our nation's history.
“When you saw bestiality, I say this with respect: The person who recommended it, why didn't you just say what planet did you parachute in from?
“Do you pledge that you will not in any way interfere in the will of the American people when they go to the polls in November?
“Do you think firing the president's political opponents is more important than retaining the decades of experience and expertise monitoring intelligence threats from Iran?
“He's an incompetent lackey. He's like an 18-year old-kid who wants to join a fraternity that he could never be a member of, doing keg stands and chugging with friends. … What a mockery you are.