FBI Director Kash Patel came under intense scrutiny in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today as Democratic senators accused him of politicising the bureau and purging officials perceived as adversaries of President Donald Trump. Republicans defended his record, while Patel rejected claims that his decisions were driven by politics.
Lawmakers pressed Patel over his handling of the Charlie Kirk murder investigation, including confusion around his announcement that a &ldquo;subject&rdquo; had been taken into custody, a claim later corrected. The suspect was arrested within about 33 hours. Patel defended the timeline and said releases followed when no link was found.
Another major source of tension was the firing of several veteran FBI officials, especially agents who had worked on Trump-related investigations and Jan. 6 materials. Critics said this was weakening the bureau&rsquo;s ability to handle both domestic and national security threats. Patel countered that dismissals were based on merit and the ability to uphold constitutional duties, insisting he does not have an "enemies list".
Questions were also raised about the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein file, with allegations that it was mishandled and documents withheld. Patel responded that, in his view, no credible evidence tied known individuals beyond Epstein to trafficking young girls to others.
The hearing included a revelation that over 20 individuals from a Discord group chat linked to the Charlie Kirk suspect are under FBI investigation for possible prior knowledge of the killing. Senate Democrats warned that Patel&rsquo;s leadership risks harming trust in law enforcement, while his defenders cited his track record in arrests, crime reduction, and other metrics.
As allegations of bias grew louder, some reports surfaced that President Trump is reportedly unhappy with Patel&rsquo;s handling of certain cases, though there has been no public confirmation of plans to fire him. Patel is set to testify again before the House Judiciary Committee.

FBI chief grilled over Kirk case, staff firings & political bias at fiery Senate hearing

Kash Patel Faces Heated Senate Criticism Today

FBI chief grilled over Kirk case, staff firings & political bias at fiery Senate hearing

September 17, 2025 | 15:56 IST