💥 Kash Patel Humiliates "Troubled" Democrat Van Hollen for Pushing Fake Trump FBI Smears

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]Senator Van Hollen.

[00:00:01]Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, Director Patel, I've been listening carefully to your responses to some of my colleagues, and uh, I want to start with a question that Senator Coons asked you that relates to this article where the headline is Kash Patel's latest firing firings ousted agents with expertise in Iran.

[00:00:23]Uh, the article says that these individuals were uh, fired for their role in the classified documents investigations of Donald Trump. First of all, is that true?

[00:00:36]Uh, the article, just like all the other articles you cited, is false, and there's ongoing litigation, so I can't address it.

[00:00:42]>> Okay. Did You You did answer Senator Coons, and I understood your answer to be that the people that were fired, that none of them were part of the uh, group that had Iran expertise. Is that Is that your answer? No, he asked if they were Iran experts. I said they were not.

[00:00:58]Do you Did the Were the group fired Did it include people who were Iran experts?

[00:01:03]No. Did it include people who were involved in counterespionage activities with respect to Iran?

[00:01:10]I don't have the list in front of me.

[00:01:13]So, you don't know whether or not you fired people with counter executive ex- counterespionage experience with respect to Iran. You don't know the answer to that question. I terminated anyone and everyone that weaponized law enforcement. I I see. So, it was related, obviously, to the classified documents case. So, Uh, that's not what I said. Well, Director Patel, uh, Director Patel, I understood you to say that, in response to Senator Murray, that um, you've not redirected FBI resources toward the immigration enforcement effort. Is that >> what I said.

[00:01:47]>> Okay.

[00:01:49]Did Have you redirected resources away from your core FBI responsibilities toward the mass deportation effort?

[00:01:58]Uh no one at the FBI has been permanently reassigned on the immigration front and when we pull the numbers, the FBI's overall operational field expenditures surged periodically for immigration enforcement activities including the arrest of 2,000 people really with direct ties to foreign terrorist organizations was 2.4%.

[00:02:16]>> [clears throat] >> So, okay. So, you're the keyword there I guess was permanently. You have not permanently reassigned. Is that what you reassigned temporarily? Surges, yes, okay. Um have you had a chance to listen to or read about Brian Driscoll's statements about what you said to him and the reasons for him for his firing? No, I have not, sir.

[00:02:39]Uh so, let me let me just say this, Mr. Director. Um in your response to me earlier where you had a little bit of a blow up, you made a couple provably false statements.

[00:02:53]So did you. No, I Mis- Mr. Director, I was reading about and asking you and asking you to respond to allegations that are made.

[00:03:02]In fact, I was giving you an opportunity to do that and you took that opportunity. But in the process, you made these provably false statements that I know are sort of like urban legend in right-wing media about margaritas in El Salvador which is provably false. And so, coming from the mouth of an FBI director to make provably false statements in a hearing like this is extremely troubling and it it leads me to ask whether or not the other things you've been saying are false statements.

[00:03:39]And so, my And because that was that's a provably false statement. You made a couple others that are provably false. And this is from the mouth of the FBI director.

[00:03:48]The only one that made false statements is you. My My final question to you, Mr. Director, is do you know that it is a crime to lie to Congress?

[00:03:56]Do you know that? That's my last question.

[00:03:59]I have not lied to Congress. I didn't ask you that.

[00:04:02]>> Congress is you. Do you And >> I'm not testifying here, sir, and I don't lie.

[00:04:06]>> Maybe the next time you run up a $7,000 bar tab, we can talk about it.

[00:04:09]>> Well, see, there you go.

[00:04:11]Lying again, do you suggest >> report, I'll post it right now.

[00:04:13]>> You suggested it was public. It wasn't public money, as you know. That was for a 50-member Oh. So, it wasn't $7,000 bar tab.

[00:04:21]>> Mr. Mr. Patel, I'm glad Let me just say in closing, Mr. Chairman, two things. I'm glad that you have agreed to take the the test regarding, you know, whether you have alcohol problems. I'm glad you agreed with me to do that.

[00:04:36]Um you still haven't answered my final question. Do you know, Mr. Director, that it is a crime to lie to Congress?

[00:04:43]Do you know that?

[00:04:46]I do not lie to Congress.

[00:04:48]>> I didn't ask you that.

[00:04:49]>> And you're insinuating that I am >> I asked once whether you know >> to correct your time in this session where you got steamrolled by the facts, so you can have a Twitter narrative and raise more money and spend more money on $7,000 bar tabs.

[00:05:03]>> Just Just let the record show, Mr. Chairman, that the Director of the FBI apparently does not want to answer the question about whether or not it's a crime to lie to Congress, and I find that extremely troubling.

[00:05:14]>> I find it troubling that you lie to the American people every single day.

[00:05:18]You You are a disgrace, Mr. Director, and the fact that you can't answer that question I will I will That that That concludes my questioning, Mr. Chairman, but I'm obviously very troubled.