Photo: Getty Images
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and FBI Director Kash Patel clashed during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing over what the Democratic lawmaker called a "generational destruction" of the bureau.
On Tuesday (September 16), Booker took aim at Patel for firing and removing seasoned FBI personnel, describing his leadership as a "generational destruction of the nation's premier law enforcement agency."
“This may be the last time I have a hearing with you because I don’t think you're long for your job," Booker said during Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Patel fired back, calling Booker’s comments a “rant of false information.” The FBI director also slammed Booker as an "embarrassment," adding "Your time is over."
“You don’t tell me my time is over … I am not afraid of you!” Booker responded.
During the hearing, Booker also called out Patel over investigations related to conservative figure Charlie Kirk's fatal shooting and the Jeffrey Epstein case. Lawmakers engaged in heated exchanges over Patel's previous social media post, in which he claimed, but later retracted, that a suspect was in custody following Kirk's death. Patel also faced backlash over his reluctance to release more Epstein-related documents.
Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley repeatedly banged his gavel in attempts to restore order amid shouting.
Patel claimed that the FBI will “release whatever we are legally permitted” regarding Epstein materials and argued his leadership wasn't about loyalty to any person but upholding the Constitution.
Watch part of the heated exchange between Booker and Patel below.
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