Democratic Senator Argues Kash Patel Has 'Weaponized The FBI'
Source: Huff Post
May 17, 2026, 02:41 PM EDT | Updated 3 hours ago
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) says FBI Director Kash Patel needs to be removed from his position “for a whole host of reasons” days after they clashed during a Senate hearing over reporting of Patel’s alleged excessive drinking.
Appearing Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the Democratic senator was asked by moderator Kristen Welker if he believes the FBI “can function effectively” with Patel at the helm.
“Oh, I don’t,” he responded. “But it’s not simply because of this issue, the fact that there are so many reports that indicate that his drinking has meant that he’s incapacitated at many times. As I said, Kristen, I really don’t care what he does on his free time so long as he’s not putting the public at risk, so long as he’s not compromising his important mission as director of the FBI.”
Van Hollen made the remarks after Welker played back a clip of him and Patel butting heads over The Atlantic’s report last month about Patel’s alleged erratic behavior during a Senate hearing Tuesday. Patel has denied the reports, and on April 20, he filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic Monthly Group, the publisher of The Atlantic. Van Hollen went on to accuse Patel of having “completely weaponized the FBI.”
Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chris-van-hollen-kash-patel-weaponized-fbi-should-be-fired_n_6a09f6f3e4b0a33000e25713?origin=home-latest-news-unit
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