Durbin Demands Kash Patel Be Fired 'Immediately' After New Reporting On His 'Chronic Absenteeism'

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]Are we in a quorum call? Yeah. I ask consent the quorum call be suspended. No objection. Thank you, Mr. President.

[00:00:06]Mr. President, when Kash Patel was confirmed as head of the FBI, I said that he had neither the experience, the judgment, or the temperament for the job.

[00:00:20]14 months later, Director Patel has confirmed my worst fears about his integrity and competency.

[00:00:28]Director Patel has spent his tenure at the FBI weaponizing the world's preeminent investigative agency to serve the political interests of one person, Donald Trump.

[00:00:42]Patel has fired dozens of career law enforcement agents simply because they were assigned to work on investigations related to President Trump and his allies' misconduct.

[00:00:54]These firings have deprived the FBI of decades of experience at a time when our nation is facing growing threats not only at home but overseas.

[00:01:06]And Director Patel has timed these politicized purges to shield himself from allegations of misconduct.

[00:01:15]After his embarrassing actions at the Olympics and whistleblower disclosures to my office describing how his misuse of FBI aircraft has negatively impacted high-profile criminal investigations, Director Patel tried to save face by firing even more people at the FBI who worked on President Trump's mishandling of classified documents.

[00:01:40]Several of the fired agents at the FBI were part of a global counterintelligence squad whose responsibilities included investigating espionage and cyber threats from Iran.

[00:01:52]Just days before the war began, Director Patel deliberately undermined the FBI's ability to counter Iranian threats, all to distract from his own failings as and management as director.

[00:02:08]An article recently published in The Atlantic revealed that Director Patel's behavior has been even more erratic and irresponsible than previously reported.

[00:02:19]Current and former FBI officials are worried that Director Patel has become a national security risk due to his chronic absenteeism and personal lifestyle.

[00:02:31]Those at FBI headquarters and field offices often find the director absent at critical moments, delaying time-sensitive decisions and important investigation that require his approval.

[00:02:44]These accusations would be concerning for any government official, but for one of the people principally responsible for keeping America safe, they are downright disqualifying.

[00:02:54]Director Patel should be replaced immediately.

[00:02:58]Our country's safety is too important to be left in the hands of an unqualified and undependable individual who is loyal only to the president and not to the people of this nation.