Verbal Smackdown: Kash Patel Turns Tables on House Democrat in Fiery Testimony
“Nope. I think the common theme here is you putting words in my mouth, and I’m not going to tolerate it. Nor will the men and women of the FBI.”
FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the House Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday. He was there to discuss the 2026 White House budget which allocates $10.1 billion to the FBI for salaries and expenses.
His mere presence unsettled the Democrats on the committee, who made their hostility clear from the outset. But it was his exchange with the odious Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) that stood out. Her performance was marked by a disingenuous retelling of past events and sharp personal attacks on Patel.
Dean began, “I was an impeachment manager for President Trump’s second impeachment. It was a sad, solemn duty. And so I wanted to ask you about that. Mr. Patel, as you and the president continue to weaponize and investigate his perceived enemies as you follow this blueprint. When can I, a former impeachment manager, expect the FBI at my door?”
Patel pushed back immediately. “Ma’am. You want to know who was targeted by a weaponized FBI? Me. You want to know how and why. You want to know what I’m doing to fix it. …”
Ignoring Patel, Dean said, “Let me move on.”
He suggested that the congresswoman read his book about those FBI insiders who “violated their constitutional obligations and their duties to the American people. … And you should give that book to every one of your constituents so they can read about it.”
She replied that she “won’t be doing that.”
“That’s their loss,” Patel said.
Dean continued, “During your Senate confirmation hearings, you repeatedly denied having any involvement as a private citizen in the firing of FBI officials who engaged in the prosecution against January 6 insurrectionists. Violent rioters who beat and killed Capitol police officers and whom you referred to as political prisoners. Since then, multiple whistleblowers have come forward, and we know that you likely committed perjury at the same hearing, you claimed you were not familiar with Stu Peters, an antisemitic holocaust denier, despite the fact that you appeared on Mr. Peters podcast eight separate times. Eight times. And you claimed not to recall.
“Mr. Patel, my second question is, should we worry more about your memory or your veracity?”
Patel had had enough and delivered the knockout punch: We should worry more about your lack of candor. You’re accusing me of committing perjury. Tell the American people how I broke the law and committed a felony. Have the audacity to actually put the facts forward instead of lying for political banter so you can have a 20-second donation hit.”
Oblivious to his words, Dean interrupted to say, “The answer is both, I believe.”
Patel responded, “The answer is you’re failing, not me.”
💥🔥Kash Patel to former Trump impeachment manager Dem Rep. Madeleine Dean:
"You want to know who was targeted by a weaponized FBI? Me!… We should worry more about your lack of candor. You're accusing me of committing perjury. Tell the American people how I broke the law and… pic.twitter.com/YlxaBBbEdR
— Melissa Hallman (@dotconnectinga) May 7, 2025
On Thursday, Patel testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee. Similar to their House colleagues, the Senate Democrats’ contempt and disdain for Patel were unmistakable.
He had a particularly fiery exchange with Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who accused him of weaponizing the FBI. Oh, the irony.
“Well, you asked if I was weaponizing the FBI, and I am not,” Patel said. “I’m giving you the hard, concrete examples of the men and women putting handcuffs on bad people. Doing harm to our children and innocent Americans. …”
Murray interrupted to say, “Well you have placed on leave FBI employees responsible for the investigation of January 6. That sounds political to me.”
“I have not placed anyone on leave who has not violated their ethical obligation or their oath to the constitution,” Patel replied.
“If they were investigating January 6, you believe they were violating an ethic operation?” she asked.
“Nope,” Patel shot back. “I think the common theme here is you putting words in my mouth, and I’m not going to tolerate it. Nor will the men and women of the FBI.”
Touché.
🚨 Kash Patel just WRECKED Patty Murray
KASH: “I think the common theme is you putting words in my mouth, and I’m not going to tolerate it.”
“If you wanna talk about someone who was attacked by a weaponized bureau, you’re looking at him. And now he’s the Director of the FBI”… pic.twitter.com/YX031HzTIF
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 8, 2025
Patel had yet another contentious exchange with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) over the due process rights of illegal immigrants targeted by the Alien Enemies Act.
Merkley maintained that, according to the Constitution, each individual should receive due process. He sarcastically “encouraged” Patel to read it.
Patel informed Merkley, “As the first public defender who’s ever served the FBI as its director, I am more aware of due process than any predecessor in my seat. You’re delineating between removal proceedings and criminal acts. My job is to investigate criminal acts.”
Merkley continued to press, “You are aware that the 5th amendment refers to taking away liberty and
when people are arrested on the street, detained, their liberty is taken away.”
Quite an exchange just now between Sen. Merkley and FBI Director Kash Patel over whether due process applies to people targeted by the Alien Enemies Act. pic.twitter.com/sUouHRXCUW
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) May 8, 2025
For political gain, Dean distorted the events of January 6, Murray leveled accusations at Patel for actions actually carried out by former FBI Directors James Comey and Christopher Wray on behalf of the Democratic Party, and Merkley defended the due process rights of gang members who had entered the U.S. illegally.
And I’ve only presented three of Patel’s many clashes with Democratic lawmakers over the past two days. To his credit, he approached every exchange with unrelenting resolve and zero tolerance for nonsense. He didn’t just take punches — he threw them right back, and harder.
He turned the hearing into his own stage and showed other Republicans how it’s done. They would be wise to take note.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on LinkedIn or X.
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Comments
The conspiracy to import millions of criminal migrants including the emptying of foreign prison and mental institutions is an act of war and is sufficient to use RICO to permanently abolish the democrat crime cabal
“Violent rioters who beat and killed Capitol police officers….”
LYING C*NT
You’re defaming C*nts… 🙂
I’d like to know why the Republicans haven’t cleaned up the capital police. The dirt bag who killed the woman still works there and got promoted to Captain. The Republicans by virtue of controlling the House now are in changed of the capital police. They should clean house completely.
Because Trump doesn’t care about this issue. He has done nothing.
I guess I should point out to the deficient in knowledge, that would be you jr, that Trump is not in charge of the House of representatives. Dumbass
This is the responsibility of House Republicans, idiot.
Get the hell out of here.
They were given preemptive immunity.
I think I agree with I believe Newt Gingrich’s view of these “hearings”. Not only Murry but others in Patel’s and the Treasury Secretary’s hearings looked unprepared, uninformed and woefully lacking in the intelligence to take on Trump’s people. I’m not sure what they were doing and did themselves no favors with the ridiculous questions and statements but I believe it was Patel calling out one of them saying something like he wasn’t going to sit there and let her twist the facts and make false statements to get soundbites for fundraising. Everything during the hearings was not good for the Dems.
It is a small thing, but an important one.
Those tiny stars that replace the letter ‘u’ are how free speech dies.
The fact that I CAN’T write the word without my comment getting yanked is how free speech dies.
The first amendment is a great thing, but without a culture of free speech is is meaningless.
When people censor themselves to appease those in power, the tyrants have already won. They’ve made us put their chains on our own necks–and made us pay to do it.
And we don’t even fight. Because they’ve engineered things to hide that fight. So when we fight our words are simply only visible to us. We never know that they’ve been edited.
And the lack of reaction makes us think that our words are falling on deaf ears. That the fight is lost.
Remember all that talk about how they were trying to demoralize us?
I think the * thing is more a nod to delicate sensibilities that some people have.
This comment section is very loosely moderated. at least that is how I see it.
If an adult uses the expletive version of cunt.. that is their business.
“He turned the hearing into his own stage and showed other Republicans how it’s done. They would be wise to take note.”
If by “other Republicans” you mean members of Congress, most of them aren’t willing to take the risk.
American men have forgotten how to control their stupid women.
Sometimes diversity IS strength.
^^^^ One thousand upticks _^^^^
The democrats are such lying scum bags. They should illuminate the ability of congress critters to ly. It serves no purpose.
I would like to know the facts about Patel and Peters. Patel says he doesn’t know him. Peters says he does. Others say Patel was on Peter’s podcast.
Peters is an absolute scum bag. He is an actual alt right clown (they do exist), antisemite, conspiracy theorist. A real low life.
Peters is the podcaster that interviewed the grifter that causes the commotion at Portnoy’s bar. He is a pretty low IQ Temple U student or has flipped flopped his story and now has a gofundme page raising money somewhat successfully to sue Portnoy or so he claims.
Regardless I’d like the facts regarding any interactions between Patel and Peters. It may not be possible to ascertain the facts as this has devolved into a he said she said situation.
The Internet never forgets. It should be a relatively uncomplicated operation to find the podcasts if they exist.
Ive done a bit of searching. So far nothing but today’s news.
Maybe Patel was on a podcast that Peters was on and she’s twisting into Patel knowing him.
Only think I saw was 1 split screen of Patel and Peters. I’m not going to wade through that cretin’s podcasts to see if Patel is on them.
Ugh calling this guy a low life would be a compliment. I feet dirty just going over his stuff. I wonder if the founding fathers who championed free speech would have if they had to deal with these bigoted bottom dwellers.
I hope this was tongue in cheek. Yes, they absolutely would have championed free speech and then they probably would have challenged him to a duel in front of the Capitol if they were alive today.
They settled things as individuals and had means for handling riff raff that we don’t have today…but please tell me you aren’t suggesting that an iron government fist that determines what is allowed as speech is the better solution?
Bring back dueling then.
Squirrel! I don’t care if Patel or any other members of the administration went on some rando’s podcast no one listens to in the run up to the election. People were going on any podcast they could show up to. Who cares? I care about what the administration is doing and in particular Patel’s attempts to clean out the FBI by investigating and suspending agents who acted in a political fashion.
Sorry. People get a pass for 1 mistake not 8 of the same mistake. Patel isn’t the only one who can clean out the FBI. Having said that I don’t know if he has been on any of Peter’s podcasts.
A reminder that the orange blob pardoned 1/6 scumbags. SMH
I hadn’t heard he pardoned Pelosi.
No he didn’t, you idiot. Michael Byrd still has his job.
No, it was the doddering fool who pardoned many of the scumbags in that episode. The current president pardoned legitimate protesters who were the victims of political persecution, in many cases who had done no wrong at all, and those who had done some wrong had done far less than the thousands of BLM/antifa thugs whom Democrat prosecutors refused to prosecute.
A reminder that no one hear believes a word from your lying mouth.
As he should have. The Capitol belongs to US citizens and Congress works for US citizens. The protestors had every right to inspect their property and employees. They were invited in by the police. Trump supporters are known for being heavily armed, yet the only guns present that day were in the hands of law enforcement. If they intended to overthrow Congress they would have brought more than flagpoles and wouldn’t have left after a few hours. And if Congress could have been overthrown by a couple rednecks with flagpoles, it probably should have been.
The cockroach returns.
These aging d/prog don’t have anything to hang their hat on so they use innuendo and ad hominem attacks to engage in character assassination. Since Sen Merkley is so concerned about the Constitutional rights of ‘the people’ where’s his bill to remove federal firearms statutes that infringe on the 2A rights of ‘the people’.
Questions like the ones the Democrats had for Dir Patel today are for the edification of their dwindling base. No one else who is up on current events would give them any credence.
Anyone willing to verbally b*tchslap these lying, leftist, democrat women to their faces has my support. They always look so offended when there’s any pushback, particularly from a man. I imagine they’ll pull the sexist alarm any minute now.
After all the hearings that Kash has been in, you’d think by now that democrats would have learned that they’ll never best him at the “Gotcha ” game
The demonrats think they can intimidate Dir Patel into not investigating the J6 committee members. There is that little collusion issues with Fanni and friends down Atlanta way. Also with the clown at the National Archives who only went after President Trump and not Obama
or Biden when it came to administrative violations the records act. There also just might be an investigation into the auto pen usage by Biden’s staffers.
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