00:02FBI Director Kash Patel faced sharp questions on Capitol Hill Tuesday, and at times, the hearing turned into a back
00:09and forth.
00:10Senator Chris Van Hollen pressed Patel over reports about his conduct, including a story from The Atlantic that raised questions
00:18about alleged drinking and absences.
00:20Patel has denied those claims and is suing over the report.
00:24There have been no occasions during your tenure when FBI personnel were unable to promptly reach you.
00:30Absolutely not. You can ask my entire workforce. They hear from me at every single hour of the day, as
00:34do these great gentlemen here, as do the men and women of the interagency and state and local law enforcement
00:39in the White House.
00:40And so there have been no occasions when your security detail had difficulty waking or locating you. Is that right?
00:45Nope. It's a total farce. I don't even know where you get this stuff, but it doesn't make it credible
00:49because you say so.
00:50I'm not saying it, Director Patel. It's been written and documented.
00:55You are literally saying it.
00:56No, I'm saying that these are reports, Director Patel.
00:59Unlike your baseless reports, the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a
01:06convicted gang-banging rapist was you.
01:08The only person that ran up a $7,000 bar tab in Washington, D.C. at the lobby door was
01:14you.
01:15So the only individual in this room that has been drinking on taxpayers.
01:19The exchange escalated further with Van Hollen asking Patel if he would get screened for alcohol issues.
01:27Are you willing to take the test, it's called the audit test, that members of our active duty military and
01:35others take to determine whether they have a drinking problem?
01:39I'll take any test you're willing to take.
01:41I will take it, Director Patel. I'll take it. You ready to take it?
01:44Let's go.
01:45Yes or no?
01:46Let's go. Side by side.
01:47The hearing was part of a broader budget session, but this back and forth stood out as one of the
01:53most contentious moments of the day.
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