FBI director Kash Patel testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing on Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
WASHINGTON (TNND) — FBI Director Kash Patel clashed with a Democratic lawmaker Tuesday during a Senate subcommittee budget hearing, forcefully denying allegations that he drinks excessively on the job as “unequivocally, categorically false.”
“I will not be tarnished by baseless allegations and fraudulent statements from the media,” Patel said angrily to Sen. Chris Van Hollen.
The confrontation began when the Maryland Democrat questioned Patel about a recent Atlantic article detailing his alleged drinking habits. Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu has also urged the Trump administration to remove Patel, citing what he described as an alleged substance abuse issue.
Patel has since filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine, which says it stands by its reporting and plans to vigorously defend against what it called a “meritless” case.
As tensions escalated, Patel repeatedly interrupted Van Hollen and attempted to shift the focus, accusing the senator of “slinging margaritas on the taxpayer dime” during a trip to El Salvador last year. The remark referred to Van Hollen’s visit with...
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