Kash Patel Fires Back at Sen Van Hollen, Accuses Him of 'Slinging Margaritas' With a Known Felon During Heated Hearing

Kash Patel pushed back sharply after his alleged drinking on the job practices were raised by Senator Chris Van Hollen during a recent hearing. Instead of simply repeating his denials, the FBI director turned the focus on Van Hollen and accused him of misconduct.

The two men's heated exchange ended with both parties saying they were prepared to undergo tests that could show neither had been drinking illegally. They said the tests should be carried out side by side, potentially to ensure that the results could not be manipulated.

Kash Patel, Von Hollen's Heated Argument

On Tuesday, Patel and Van Hollen appeared at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing when the senator raised concerns about the FBI chief's alleged drinking habits. The Atlantic had published an article alleging that Patel not only drank on the job but had at times been heavily intoxicated while performing his duties. Patel rejected the allegations and has since filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine, insisting the claims are false and politically motivated.

Patel has said he is willing to undergo any test that would prove he is sober. Despite his denials and the ongoing lawsuit, Van Hollen still raised the issue during Tuesday's hearing. He said he did not care what Patel did in his personal life, but argued that it became a concern if it interfered with his public duties.

'You cannot perform those public duties if you're incapacitated,' Hollen said.

Patel fired back by accusing Van Hollen of 'slinging margaritas with a known felon,' a reference to the senator's meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador after Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported there. Van Hollen has since denied that anyone drank margaritas during their meeting, saying the appearance of drinks on the table was a political stunt and that only water or coffee was served.

The back-and-forth continued for several minutes until Van Hollen asked Patel if he would be willing to take a test to measure whether he had a drinking problem. Patel replied that he would take any test that Van Hollen was willing to undergo as well.

'Let's go. Side by side,' Hollen replied.

Firing of FBI Staff Questioned

Beyond the drinking allegations, Patel has also faced scrutiny over his decision to remove more than 10 members of his senior staff. The fired FBI agents and analysts were all involved in investigations into Donald Trump's handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and other Trump-era probes.

During Tuesday's hearing, Senator Gary Peters pressed Patel on the FBI's recent searches, subpoenas and ballot seizures in several US states, including Georgia and Arizona. Patel defended the moves, saying all actions followed legal process, but Peters said state and local election officials wanted more clarity about the bureau's plans.

'They're going to want to ensure that state and local elections are indeed going to be free and fair, and folks are being protected by the FBI,' he said.

Excessive Travel Practices

Patel was also questioned about his travel practices, months after the publication he sued alleged that he had been skipping work to travel to different places. The FBI director argued that travel is an important part of his job and said visiting field offices and partners around the country is necessary to understand front-line challenges.

He also noted that his two predecessors had reportedly travelled more frequently and taken more days off than he has, suggesting his schedule was comparatively restrained.