Patel ‘sparked mass confusion’ over Charlie Kirk shooting suspect, says Durbin
Durbin says Patel “sparked mass confusion” by announcing too early that the suspect in the shooting of Charlie Kirk had been caught.
“At critical stages of an investigation, shut up and let professionals do their job,” says Durbin.
Key events
Cruz urges Patel to “follow the money”, suggesting – as Trump has many times – that political violence is being funded and promoted by certain individuals/organizations.
Patel says: “We’ve been following the money, issuing lawful process to organizations involved in criminal activity, because the money has to come from somewhere and it has to be funded somehow.
“So we have extensive investigations into numerous organizations that are related to violent criminal activity.”
Weighing in on the controversy surrounding people posting comments critical of Charlie Kirk on social media since his killing, Republican senator Ted Cruz encourages the FBI to “focus on conduct”.
“Under our Constitution, under the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment, speech is protected, and that’s true even for vile speech,” Cruz says. “Someone can stand up and say the most hateful thing, and it’s protected by the First Amendment.”
He continues: “Speech can guide you to those engaged in conduct.”
Booker-Patel exchange descends into shouting match
Booker says Trump promised to make the country safer, but says Patel’s actions at the FBI have led to the opposite.
“You have pushed out senior FBI agents with decades of knowledge and experience,” Booker says. “In fact, this is the first time in FBI history that neither the director nor the deputy director have any experience with the FBI. You’ve shifted the agency’s priorities primarily to pursuing Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda.
“I believe you have made our country weaker and less safe,” Booker says, “by gutting the agency of knowledge and expertise” and having agents “do low-level immigration enforcement instead of their mission-critical work”.
“You don’t get to say that America is not safer under this leadership,” Patel says. “America is safer because of the FBI.”
Booker says he believes the US is more vulnerable to a domestic or foreign attack because of Patel’s “failing as a leader”.
In just eight months you have assaulted the institutional integrity of the FBI.
He then predicts that Patel won’t hold the job as director for much longer.
Here’s the thing, Mr Patel, I think you’re not going to be around long … I think this might be your last oversight hearing.
“Sir, that rant of false information does not bring this country together,” Patel responds.
The exchange then descends into a yelling match, with Chuck Grassley having to pound his gavel to struggle to contain them, bringing the questioning to a halt.
Booker asks if Patel discussed the matter with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
Patel says: “Not that I recall.”
Booker asks Patel under what authority he terminated former acting FBI director Brian Driscoll, who is suing Patel for alleged wrongful termination.
Patel says he can’t discuss the matter as it’s under litigation.
Booker then challenges Patel that he said under oath that he wasn’t aware of any plans to punish FBI agents associated with criminal investigations of Donald Trump.
“I don’t believe you were truthful,” says Booker, adding that firing FBI employees solely based on the cases they’re working on is illegal.
Booker tells Patel he is accused of carrying out Trump’s “campaign of retribution”.
Booker accuses Patel of ‘making a mockery’ of hearing
Cory Booker then revisits Patel’s testimony that Donald Trump had declassified the documents at issue in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.
Booker asks Patel if he testified before the grand jury that Trump declassified the documents.
Patel says he should read the transcript.
“Why are you refusing to answer that simple yes or no question right now?” asks Booker, as the exchange becomes tense.
Patel insists the premise of the question is “inaccurate” and asks Booker how he knows what was said before the grand jury if he wasn’t there.
“Mr Patel, this is a mockery you’re making of this hearing,” says Booker, as Patel shrugs.
Patel tells Democratic senator Cory Booker he had no prior discussions with the White House about intentions to remove FBI personnel before his confirmation.
He then clarifies that ahead of his confirmation hearing he had a number of discussions about “the type of people that would be employed and that those who were failing to meet the mark at the FBI would no longer be employed”.
Challenged by Booker, Patel denies that that mark had to do with loyalty to the Trump administration. “No, you’re wrong,” Patel says.
Democratic senator Mazie Hirono asked Patel about the FBI personnel changes.
“Since January 20, 2025, how many FBI employees have retired, resigned, been fired or otherwise separated from employment?” Hirono asked.
Patel replied that he would “get her a number” as he did not have a number “off the top of my head.”
“Would it surprise you to know that it is in the thousands?” Hirono asked.
“I don’t think that number is accurate” Patel responded.
During a heated exchange, Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal asked Patel whether “anyone from the White House contacted you about personnel decisions?”.
“I completely disagree with your entire premise that I have lied or am misleading the FBI” Patel responded, referring to earlier comments made by Blumenthal accusing Patel of lying to lawmakers during his confirmation hearing when he told them that FBI agents would not face political retribution.
“The only way people get terminated at the FBI is if they fail to meet the muster of their job and their duties, and that is where I will leave it. You accusing me of lying is something I don’t take lightly, but I’m not going to get into a tit for tat with you.”
Blumenthal pressed Patel again, asking once more: “Has anyone from the White House contacted you about personnel decisions?”.
Patel replied: “Generally speaking, we always discuss with the White House, OMB during the budget process, how many personnel we need, who we need where.”
“Any termination at the FBI was a decision that I made based on the evidence that I have as director of the FBI,” Patel added. “It’s my job and I’m not going to shy away from it.”
During the hearing, Republican Louisiana Senator John Kennedy asked Patel about the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and Epstein’s crimes.
“Who, if anyone, did Epstein traffic these young women to?” Kennedy asked.
Patel responded, that “there is no credible information, none … that he trafficked to other individuals” adding that “if there were, I would bring the case yesterday that he trafficked to other individuals.”
During his remarks, Kennedy said that “this issue is not going to go away,” and said that he believes the “central question for the American people is this: They know that Epstein trafficked young women for sex to himself. They want to know who if anyone else he trafficked these young women to.”
When asked by Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota whether he would support an assaults weapon ban, Patel said that “there are instances on this legislation that could prevent future attacks, but I’m not going to weigh in to the creation of legislation.”
While Patel is answering questions from lawmakers, President Donald Trump continues to defend Patel’s handling of the Kirk shooting investigation.
Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn, Trump said that “take a look at what he did with respect to this horrible person… He did it in two days” referring to the fact that the suspect was taken into custody after a 33-hour manhunt. Authorities say that the suspect turned himself in.
“It took other similar cases four days, five days, four years if you look at certain shooters” Trump added.
In an exchange with Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, Patel said that the FBI is investigating “anyone and everyone” who was involved in the Discord group chat with the 22-year-old who has been named a suspect in the killing of Kirk.
“We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence” Patel said.
Patel said that the FBI is “investigating anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat” with the alleged shooter, where he reportedly confessed to the fatal shooting.
When asked about the number of Discord users in the chatroom, Patel said that it had “a lot more” than 20 people.
Patel says FBI investigating Discord group chat where Kirk shooting suspect allegedly confessed
Patel told Republican senator Josh Hawley that the Discord chat in which the Kirk shooting suspect allegedly confessed to the murder was “leaked”.
Asked by Hawley whether the Kirk shooting is being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups, Patel responded: “We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence.”
Patel also said that the FBI is investigating “anyone and everyone” who was involved in an online gaming chatroom on Discord with the alleged shooter. That chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, Patel said, adding: “We’re running them all down.”
