Kash Patel Agrees To Take Military Alcoholism Test On Camera Following Tense Senate Clash: 'Let's Go'

FBI Director Kash Patel agreed on camera to take a military-grade alcohol screening test during a Senate budget hearing that descended into a mutual salvo of drinking accusations between him and Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen.

The confrontation took place on 12 May 2026 before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, convened to discuss the FBI's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget. Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the panel, cited reporting by The Atlantic that alleged episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences from Patel, who has denied those claims and sued the magazine for £185 million ($250 million).

Patel rejected each allegation, fired back with counter-accusations against Van Hollen, and then accepted the senator's challenge to take the test side by side.

Van Hollen's Opening Allegations and Patel's Flat Denial

Van Hollen wasted no time in his opening statement, citing The Atlantic's reporting directly at Patel. 'Reports of your being so drunk and hungover that your staff had to force entry into your home are extremely alarming,' the senator said. 'If true, they represent a gross dereliction of your duty.'

Patel was unequivocal. 'It's a total farce. I don't even know where you get it from,' he said. When Van Hollen pressed him specifically on The Atlantic's story, Patel replied: 'I will not be tarnished by baseless allegations and fraudulent statements from the media.' He later told the subcommittee the allegations were 'unequivocally, categorically false.'

The hearing was formally called to address Trump's proposed £9.27 billion ($12.53 billion) FBI budget for fiscal year 2027, an 18% increase on 2026 levels. Patel justified the rise by pointing to a 20% decline in the national murder rate, a 31% increase in fentanyl seizures, and the capture of eight of the FBI's ten most-wanted fugitives during his tenure.

Patel Turns the Tables: Margaritas, Felons and a £5,275 ($7,128) Bar Tab

Rather than absorbing Van Hollen's line of questioning, Patel went on offence. He accused Van Hollen of 'slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang-banging rapist,' a reference to the senator's April 2025 trip to visit Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was allegedly wrongfully deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration. Abrego Garcia has not been charged with or convicted of gang membership or rape. Administration officials have alleged his MS-13 affiliation, which he denies. He is awaiting trial on human trafficking charges.

Van Hollen has disputed that anyone drank margaritas during the meeting. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele shared photos of the visit and claimed Abrego Garcia was 'sipping margaritas' with the senator, which Van Hollen denied at the time.

Patel then cited a financial document. 'The only person that ran up a £5,275 ($7,128) bar tab in Washington, D.C., at the Lobby Bar was you,' he told Van Hollen. During the hearing, the FBI's official X account posted what appeared to be a Federal Election Commission filing showing Van Hollen's Senate campaign had spent that sum at the venue.

A Van Hollen spokesperson later said the charge was for an after-hours holiday catering reception for more than 50 staff members, paid from campaign funds and not taxpayer money. The FBI declined to comment further on the post.

The Military Audit Test: A Challenge Neither Man Expected to Accept

Van Hollen brought the confrontation to a head by asking whether Patel would submit to the audit test, a screening tool formally demanded by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee in late April following The Atlantic's publication. The tool, used by active-duty military personnel and healthcare providers, assesses hazardous patterns of alcohol consumption.

'I'll take any test you're willing to take,' Patel said. Van Hollen confirmed he would take it. 'Let's go. Side by side,' Patel replied.

Van Hollen appeared to be caught off-guard by Patel's willingness. No date was announced for either man to formally submit to the assessment, and the FBI did not issue a statement following the hearing.

Van Hollen issued a statement to NBC News after Tuesday's hearing: 'If public reporting on his drinking were not enough to call into question his fitness to serve as FBI Director, his behaviour today absolutely did. He's a disgrace to the office he holds.'

Both men have made their challenge publicly, on the record, in a Senate hearing room, and the country is now watching to see if either of them shows up.