Sen. Adam Schiff faced FBI Director Kash Patel at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday. The two clashed over the Epstein files, and the room was tense from the start.
The exchange began when Schiff asked about Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s associate. Maxwell had been moved to a lower security prison after talking with the Justice Department. Schiff wanted to know if Patel had any role in the move.
Patel said, “We have countlessly proven you to be a liar in Russiagate, in Jan. 6. You are the biggest fraud to ever sit in the United States Senate, you are a disgrace to this institution and an utter coward.”
He added, “I’m not surprised that you continue to lie from your perch and put on a show so you can go raise money for your charade. You are a political buffoon at best.”
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Patel also went after Schiff for focusing on old cases. “But all you care about is a child sex predator that was prosecuted by a prior administration,” he added, saying prior administrations “did squat.”
Questions and interruptions followed. Schiff tried to speak, but Patel kept interjecting. Observers noted that Schiff’s microphone may not have been working at times. Chair Chuck Grassley repeatedly hit the gavel, trying to restore order. Senator Dick Durbin called on him to take control. Grassley finally shouted, “Both of you be quiet.”
After the hearing, Schiff said Patel’s behavior was about protecting his job. “Kash Patel came to the Senate not to do his job, but to save his job. The hard-working men and women of the FBI deserve a Director who isn’t just performing for an audience of one,” Schiff wrote on X.
Kash Patel came to the Senate today not to do his job, but to save his job.
The hard-working men and women of the FBI deserve a Director who isn’t just performing for an audience of one.
— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) September 16, 2025
Earlier in the day, Patel also had a tense moment with Sen. Cory Booker. Booker warned Patel he might not stay in his position for long.
“Because of your failures of leadership, I don’t think you’re fit to lead the bureau. Here’s the thing, Mr. Patel, I think you’re not going to be around long. I think this might be your last full oversight hearing. Because as much as you supplicate yourself to the will of Donald Trump and not the constitution of the United States of America, Donald Trump has shown us in his first term, and in this term, he is not loyal to people like you. He will cut you loose,” Booker said.
Watch the full exchange between Schiff and Patel from the Senate hearing below:
Featured image via X screengrab
