Live updates: Patel testifies before Congress as FBI director faces scrutiny over Charlie Kirk assassination investigation
By Washington Examiner Staff
Updated 5:46 pm, September 16, 2025
Here's what we're covering
FBI Director Kash Patel is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday and the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday as he faces scrutiny over his handling of the investigation into the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Patel has faced growing backlash over the investigation after posting, and later retracting, a premature announcement about having a suspect in custody.
2 hours ago
FBI’s ‘Arctic Frost’ Trump investigation also targeted Kirk’s Turning Point USA, Grassley says
From Annabella Rosciglione
FBI Director Kash Patel, left, shakes hands with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, right, before an appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his first oversight hearing, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said Tuesday the FBI’s investigation into President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election was broader than previously revealed.
The so-called Arctic Frost investigation into Trump also looked at Republican groups, including Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA organization and the Republican Attorneys General Association, according to records released by Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI).
As investigators looked into Trump’s effort to overturn the election, those groups and individuals had their communications and financial records subpoenaed to see if they were aiding Trump’s unfounded conspiracies about the 2020 election. These efforts included Trump allies filing false election fraud claims and disparaging lawsuits against election administrators, organizing fake electors to certify false election results, and attempting to convince then-Vice President Mike Pence to refuse to certify the results.
Patel clashes with Hirono over FBI fitness standards for women
From Heather Hunter
A heated exchange erupted Tuesday during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing when FBI Director Kash Patel defended physical fitness standards for incoming special agents, including a pullup requirement that Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) criticized as disproportionately affecting female applicants.
The dispute began when Hirono questioned Patel on recent changes to FBI recruitment standards, specifically the newly implemented requirement that all applicants must complete a single pullup to pass the agency’s physical fitness test.
“You are now requiring applicants to be able to do a certain kind of pullup, which a lot of women cannot because of physiological differences,” Hirono said. “Are you requiring these kinds of pullups?”
FBI Director Kash Patel came under bipartisan fire Tuesday during a combative Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, during which lawmakers grilled him over the bureau’s handling of Charlie Kirk‘s assassination investigation, the Jeffrey Epstein case files, staffing shortages, and allegations of political retaliation.
The nearly five-hour session produced some of the most heated exchanges Patel has faced since taking the job. While the sharpest clashes centered on Kirk and Epstein, senators also raised alarms about the role of online platforms in fueling violence and exploitation.
Patel to return to Hill tomorrow before House Judiciary Committee
From Annabella Rosciglione
Patel will return to Capitol Hill Wednesday to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, following his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday.
At his Tuesday hearing, he faced scrutiny over the his leadership at the FBI and the agency’s investigation into the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. Patel repeatedly defended the FBI’s handling of the investigation. He also defended the FBI’s handling the Jeffrey Epstein case.
There were several tense clashes with Democratic Senators throughout the hearing.
6 hours ago
Schiff and Patel shouting match: ‘You are a political buffoon at best’
From David Zimmermann
Patel got into a tense shouting match with Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who asked Patel to clarify an answer related to Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison transfer.
Earlier in the hearing, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) questioned Patel on whether Epstein trafficked young girls to anyone other than himself. Patel said there was “no credible information” that Epstein trafficked to anyone else.
Schiff sought clarification on Patel’s confusing answer. Patel maintained he never said Epstein didn’t traffic young women to other individuals based on information in the FBI’s possession under three different administrations.
The line of questioning erupted into a heated argument, with Patel calling Schiff a “political buffoon.”
“You are the biggest fraud to ever sit in the United States Senate. You’re a disgrace to this institution and an utter coward,” Patel told Schiff. “I’m not surprised that you continue to lie from your perch and put on a show so you can go raise money for your charade. You are a political buffoon at best.”
Patel touted the Trump administration’s actions regarding Epstein, noting the Obama and Biden administrations “did squat.”
7 hours ago
Peter Welch spars with Patel over use of private jet
From David Zimmermann
Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) questioned Patel about his allegedly improper use of a private jet for returning home and attending a UFC match with Mel Gibson in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Welch pointed to Patel’s past criticism of former FBI Director Christopher Wray’s use of a private jet to fly around the country for personal travel, suggesting Patel is hypocritical. Patel said the difference is he didn’t use a jet to “dodge questions” from Congress, like Wray.
“Do you want to know the difference? I live in Las Vegas. I’m allowed to go home. I didn’t leave a congressional hearing early on an FBI jet to dodge questions,” Patel answered.
He noted that Congress made his use of a private jet mandatory. For security purposes, Patel is required to use government-owned planes.
Patel’s use of private planes over commercial aircraft has come under scrutiny in recent months from Democrats, most notably Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).
7 hours ago
Cruz supports designation of antifa as terrorist organization
From David Zimmermann
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) called on the Trump administration to designate antifa as a terrorist organization, saying the federal government should “go systematically” after the extremist group.
Cruz, like many other Republicans, has argued that political violence is being funded by left-wing groups.
“The violence we are seeing is not purely organic,” he told Patel during Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. “There is, I believe, significant money that is spreading dissension and violence.”
The senator pointed to antifa-related language on the bullet casings left behind by 22-year-old Utah local Tyler Robinson, who is suspected of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk last week.
Cruz mentioned his bill that adds rioting to the list of predicate offenses under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Since Kirk’s death, President Donald Trump said his administration will target left-wing groups that are believed to be funding and stoking political violence in the nation.
7 hours ago
Booker to Patel: ‘You’re not going to be around very long’
From Samantha-Jo Roth
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) questions FBI Director Kash Patel, Sept. 16, 2025. (Graeme Jennings/Washington Examiner)
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) tore into Patel during a heated exchange, accusing him of purging veteran agents, politicizing the FBI, and misleading lawmakers about his role in personnel decisions.
Booker pressed Patel on whether he discussed firing FBI officials with the White House before his confirmation. Patel dodged the question, saying he had “numerous discussions” about “the type of people” who should serve at the bureau.
Booker went further, warning Patel that his days on the job may be numbered.
“I think you’re not going to be around long,” Booker said after an extended back-and-forth. “This may be your last oversight hearing … Donald Trump is not loyal to people like you. He will cut you loose.”
As the exchange escalated, Booker accused Patel of weakening national security by gutting the bureau’s expertise and diverting agents from critical work.
“I believe you have made our country weaker and less safe. I believe that we are more vulnerable to a major event, and I pray to God it doesn’t happen,” he said.
Booker charged that Patel has pushed out seasoned officials, left vacancies that could take years to fill, reassigned thousands of agents to low-level immigration enforcement, and disbanded task forces investigating election interference and corruption. Booker said these moves benefit “corrupt people, criminals, [and] Vladimir Putin.”
Patel defended his record by pointing to thousands of arrests, weapons seizures, and human trafficking cases under his tenure, dismissing Booker’s attack as “a rant of false information.”
8 hours ago
Patel and Booker erupt in heated back-and-forth
From David Zimmermann
Patel went back and forth with Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) in a heated exchange that started with Booker listing what he considers Patel’s failures.
Booker cited Patel’s initial social media posts about Kirk’s assassination that led to public confusion about the case as an example that he is not fit for the role.
“That rant of false misinformation does not bring this country together,” Patel said before Booker interrupted. Patel shot back, saying it was his time to speak.
Patel then told Booker his “time is over.” Bookeer replied that New Jersey voters will decide when his time as a senator is over.
“You can tell me my time is over? I’m not going anywhere,” Patel concluded.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) then intervened to break up the argument.
8 hours ago
‘You better be able to do a pullup’: Patel defends physical requirements of FBI
From David Zimmermann
Patel defended the FBI’s rigorous physical requirements in response to a line of questioning from a Democratic senator, noting all agents should be able to do a pullup to do their job.
“If you want to chase down a bad guy and put him in handcuffs, you better be able to do a pullup,” he said simply.
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) described the bureau’s pullup requirement as “harsh.” Patel responded, “Doing one pullup is not harsh, and there are always medical exceptions to that.”
Democratic lawmakers have warned that the FBI’s requirement of one complete pullup would reduce the number of female agents in the field. Durbin previously said that it could be as much as 30%.
8 hours ago
Schmitt: Political violence ‘is not a both sides thing’
From Samantha-Jo Roth
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) questions FBI Director Kash Patel. (Graeme Jennings, the Washington Examiner)
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) used his questioning to argue that political violence has overwhelmingly come from the Left, saying it was dishonest to frame the problem as balanced across the spectrum.
“We are lying if we think that this is a both sides thing,” Schmitt said. “Political violence is always wrong, period, full stop. But in America today, political violence is not a problem that falls equally upon both sides.”
Schmitt pressed Patel with a series of rapid-fire questions about recent attacks, demanding he classify them as left- or right-wing.
“The man who tried to kill Republican congressmen at the congressional baseball practice, nearly killing Steve Scalise, left-wing or right-wing violence, sir?” Schmitt asked.
“I believe it was a left-wing ideology,” Patel responded.
Schmitt continued, “The riots during the summer of 2020, the so-called Summer of Love?”
Patel hesitated, “I’ll rely on you on these. I don’t have off the top of my head, okay.”
Schmitt filled in the answer, saying, “Left-wing.” From there, he began rattling through the list, which includes the Waukesha Christmas parade massacre, the stabbing attempt on Lee Zeldin, the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, the attempted assassination of Trump in Butler, and others. Each time, he called them left-wing attacks.
By the end, Schmitt didn’t leave any room for interpretation.
“So don’t give me this both sides bulls*** Mr. Director,” he said. “If we want to get to unity, let’s be honest.”
8 hours ago
Patel slams Mazie Hirono over questions of FBI staffing: ‘Looking for a media hit’
From David Zimmermann
Patel criticized Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) over her questions on lower-level FBI staffing.
“When you’re talking about firings, you’re looking for a media hit and a fundraising clip. And I’m not going to give it to you,” he told Hirono.
Patel said FBI field offices across the country have received “plus-ups,” meaning FBI agents have been deployed to tackle violent crime nationwide. He challenged the notion that the bureau has been laying off its most qualified agents en masse.
“Every single field office in the country, including Hawaii, has received a plus-up of FBI agents because we’re pushing them out to the field,” Patel said in response to a question from Hirono about the mass departure of FBI personnel from the bureau since January.
9 hours ago
FBI has no information that Epstein trafficked minors to anyone other than himself: Patel
From Samantha-Jo Roth
FBI Director Kash Patel testifies before Congress on Sept. 16 following the Charlie Kirk assassination. (Graeme Jennings/Washington Examiner)
Patel said he has reviewed “a good amount” of the Epstein case files but told Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) that the bureau has found no credible evidence Epstein trafficked minors to anyone other than himself.
“There is no credible information, none,” Patel said. “If there were, I would bring the case yesterday … the answer is, no one for the information that we have in the files.”
Kennedy pressed further, warning that the bureau’s limited disclosures would not put the matter to rest.
“I think you’re going to have to do more to satisfy the American people,” he said, stressing that the public wants a clear answer to the central question of whether Epstein supplied victims to anyone else.
Patel pointed to the limits of Epstein’s 2008 nonprosecution agreement and narrow search warrants that he said hamstrung future investigations. He added that the bureau will release as many of the files as court orders allow and will remain open to reviewing new evidence if it emerges.
9 hours ago
Blumenthal accuses Patel of lying to Congress
From Brady Knox
Blumenthal said Patel “lied” to Congress, claiming retaliation against FBI personnel.
“You assured one of my colleagues that you would honor the internal review process of the FBI. I’m not going to mince words: You lied to us,” Blumenthal said.
“In the short time that you’ve been FBI director, you presided over a rash of retaliatory firings … three FBI agents have recently sued you. They are FBI agents with 60 years between them of distinguished service, rescuing hostages, saving kids from predators, dismantling drug cartels. And their allegations, their civil allegations, are a searing indictment of your tenure as FBI director,” he added.
“You accusing me of lying isn’t something I’m going to take lightly, but I’m not going to get into a tit for tat with you,” Patel answered.
9 hours ago
Hawley blasts FBI over Catholic parish informant scandal
From Samantha-Jo Roth
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) clashed with Patel over revelations that the bureau once sought to recruit informants inside Catholic parishes, a controversy Hawley has been pressing for months.
The Missouri Republican called the effort “one of the most revolting chapters in the FBI’s history,” arguing it amounted to a blatant violation of First Amendment protections. He noted the memo that launched the plan was not turned over to Congress but surfaced through a whistleblower and that Patel’s predecessor misled lawmakers by claiming it came from a single field office. In reality, whistleblowers revealed multiple offices were involved and that the memos were distributed to more than 1,000 agents nationwide.
Patel, who took over earlier this year, said he has launched a full review and taken corrective action. “We looked into how the source recruitment structure at the FBI was conducted during this time, and we made adjustments and permanent fixes to ensure that sources are not put into houses of worship unless there is an actual ongoing criminal or international terrorism threat,” Patel testified. He confirmed “there have been terminations related to this, and resignations.”
The exchange comes after Hawley demanded answers from the bureau in March, accusing the Biden administration of “targeting Christians” through the Richmond Field Office memo and its enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The 1994 law is meant to protect both reproductive health facilities and houses of worship from threats, violence, and obstruction. Hawley and other Republicans argue the Justice Department has applied it aggressively against anti-abortion activists while failing to use it to shield churches and Catholic parishes from rising attacks.
At the hearing, Hawley stressed the scandal raised constitutional concerns.
“This has got First Amendment violation written all over it,” he said, calling the FBI’s actions “one of the most revolting chapters in the bureau’s history” and warning it must never be repeated.
