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WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel faced tough questions and at-times tense exchanges with Democratic senators on Tuesday during his first congressional appearance since handling the investigation into conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death last week.
Patel’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled before the shooting at Utah Valley University took place last Wednesday, but his testimony gave lawmakers an opportunity to force him on the record about reported missteps during the high-profile manhunt. Senators specifically pointed to a social media post Patel made on Wednesday evening that the FBI had “the subject” in custody — just to clarify two hours later that person was released and was not the person of interest.
“Kash Patel sparked mass confusion by incorrectly claiming Charlie Kirk’s assassin was in custody. He had to walk it back,” Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in his opening remarks. “Mr. Patel was so anxious to take credit for finding Mr. Kirk’s assassin, that he violated one of the basics of effective law enforcement.”
Durbin also cited the high-profile departure of Mehtab Syed, the special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City FBI Office who was reportedly forced out of her position earlier this year just six months after being appointed.
Several other Democratic senators criticized Patel for the seemingly premature announcement, arguing it could have compromised the investigation.
“It turned out that was not true,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said. “In fact, I think it was about 27 hours before the person now in custody was apprehended.”
Patel defended the move, saying it was part of his job “eliminating subjects” and communicating with the public on the progress of the investigation. However, he acknowledged he “could have been more careful in my verbiage” to state “a subject” rather than “the subject.”
“I don’t quite get that. Because if we have our man, that would suggest to the public that everybody can rest and relax,” Welch pushed back. “So that was a mistake.”
When Patel rejected that it was a mistake, Welch interjected: “If you put out a statement that says we have got our man, and in fact it turns out that we don’t, that’s not a mistake?”
Other Democrats went further, arguing his handling of the investigation — along with his oversight of the Jeffrey Epstein case and other federal inquiries — proved he was unfit for the job.
“It makes me think we can’t trust you as a nation,” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said to Patel. “You claim you have a suspect in a serious assassination. Whoops, then you don’t have a suspect.”
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., specifically pressed Patel on Syed’s departure, arguing it left the office “short-handed at a particularly difficult time.”
“I’m worried that these actions compromise the bureau’s ability to keep Americans safe,” Coons said. “I’m concerned that this compromises the bureau’s ability to address national security risks, uniquely its capability.”
Patel argued that recent departures within the FBI, including firings, were performance-based only.
Meanwhile, Republican senators largely commended Patel as well as the FBI and local Utah law enforcement for their work to identify and arrest the suspect in Kirk’s death within 33 hours. During that time, Patel said the FBI received 16,000 submissions to the FBI’s tip lines.
Patel is scheduled to testify before House lawmakers on Wednesday, where he is likely to hear similar questions about his handling of the Utah investigation as well as other cases.
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