Kash Patel Flies Off the Handle When Asked About Drinking on the Job

Patel reportedly regularly has to reschedule meetings because of his drinking.

FBI Director Kash Patel’s appearance before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday fell apart as soon as he was asked about his widely reported drinking habits.

It was the bureau chief’s first time back on Capitol Hill since The Atlantic published multiple bombshell reports detailing how Patel’s alleged substance abuse and his unexplained absences had alarmed officials in and out of the agency.

But the topic was apparently still too hot for Patel to handle come Tuesday. In one particularly heated exchange with Senator Chris Van Hollen, Patel resorted to a barrage of lies and mockery in a futile attempt to deflect from his issues.

“You have publicly denied those allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit, so today as you testify before Congress, is it your testimony that those allegations are categorically false?” asked Van Hollen.

“Unequivocally, categorically false,” Patel said.

“So there have been no occasions in your tenure when FBI personnel were unable to promptly reach you?” pressed Van Hollen.

Patel insisted that federal employees have been able to reach him at any hour of the day. But the line of questioning flew off the rails when Van Hollen asked for confirmation that there had been “no occasions when [Patel’s] security detail had difficulty waking or locating” him.

“Nope, it’s a total farce, I don’t even know where you get this stuff, but that doesn’t make it credible because you say so,” Patel deadpanned, slowly blinking his eyes.

“I’m not saying it, Director Patel, it’s written and documented—” Van Hollen said, when Patel interjected: “You are literally saying it.”

“No, I am saying that these are reports, Director Patel,” Van Hollen clarified.

“Unlike baseless reports—the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gangbanging rapist was you. The only person that ran up a several thousand–dollar bar tab in Washington, D.C. … was you,” Patel said, referring to when Van Hollen visited Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland constituent who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador’s mega-prison by the Trump administration last year, to advocate for his release.

“This is the ultimate example of hypocrisy. I will not be tarnished by baseless allegations … by the media,” Patel shouted.

“Director Patel, come on. These were serious allegations that were made,” Van Hollen said. “The fact that you mention that indicates you don’t know what you are talking about.”

WOW -- Patel snaps at Van Hollen and attacks him with debunked smears, saying, "the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador with taxpayer dollars with a convicted gang-banging rapist was you" pic.twitter.com/CFNpGOU7YU— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 12, 2026

WOW -- Patel snaps at Van Hollen and attacks him with debunked smears, saying, "the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador with taxpayer dollars with a convicted gang-banging rapist was you" pic.twitter.com/CFNpGOU7YU

Trump Says He Doesn’t Care “Even a Little Bit” About People’s Finances

The president made a jaw-dropping confession when asked about the impacts of the Iran war.

President Trump could not care less about your financial struggles.

The man who pledged to fight for unseen Americans by lowering prices and ending endless wars isn’t doing either, and remained adamant that he’s still on the right path forward when asked about it on Tuesday.

“When you’re negotiating with Iran, Mr. President, to what extent are Americans’ financial situations motivating you to make a deal?” a reporter asked Trump before he left for China on Tuesday, alluding to the skyrocketing inflation caused by the fallout from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and Lebanon.

“Not even a little bit,” Trump said, shockingly out of touch even for him. “The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran is they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation, I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all. That’s the only thing that motivates me.”

Trump on Iran War:Reporter: What extent are Americans’ financial situation motivating you to make a deal?Trump: Not even a little bit. I don't think about Americans’ financial situation pic.twitter.com/TJ94pGpqD8— Acyn (@Acyn) May 12, 2026

Trump on Iran War:Reporter: What extent are Americans’ financial situation motivating you to make a deal?Trump: Not even a little bit. I don't think about Americans’ financial situation pic.twitter.com/TJ94pGpqD8

ABC News’s Karen Travers asked Trump to clarify his comments. The president doubled down.

“Did you say earlier that the only thing that matters to you when it comes to Iran is the nuclear weapon? You’re not considering the financial impact of this war on Americans?”

“The most important thing by far, including whether our stock market … goes up or down a little bit—the most important thing by far is Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump replied.

“What about the pressure on Americans in crisis right now? What they’re paying for food—”

“Every American understands.… They just had a poll, like 85 percent … they understand that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If Iran has a nuclear weapon the whole world would be in trouble. Because they happen to be crazy,” Trump said. “When it’s over, you’re gonna have a massive drop in the price of oil.… Oil is gonna drop, the stock market’s gonna go through the roof, and truly I think we’re in the golden age right now.”

Reporter: Did you say you're not considering the financial impact of this war on Americans?!?!?! Trump: The most important thing is Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Reporter: What about the pressure on Americans right now?Trump: EVERY AMERICAN UNDERSTANDS. They just did a… pic.twitter.com/B27qXqisZr— Acyn (@Acyn) May 12, 2026

Reporter: Did you say you're not considering the financial impact of this war on Americans?!?!?! Trump: The most important thing is Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Reporter: What about the pressure on Americans right now?Trump: EVERY AMERICAN UNDERSTANDS. They just did a… pic.twitter.com/B27qXqisZr

These are gift-wrapped, made-for-midterm-attack-ad comments, and the political sphere reacted as such.

“Another absolutely horrendous quote that will be shoved down Republicans’ throats during the 2026 midterms,” podcaster Tommy Vietor wrote.

“If it wasn’t the the post world war 2 order and our whole damn democracy at stake you’d really have to laugh,” The Bulwark’s Tim Miller opined on X.

“Trump just admitted what we’ve known all along,” Representative Adriano Espaillait commented. “He does not care that Americans can’t afford to live.”

As of May 12, nearly every poll shows that the majority of Americans oppose the war on Iran.

Here’s Exactly How Trump Plans to Spend $1 Billion on His Ballroom

The White House released a breakdown of the budget request.

The Trump administration produced a line-by-line spending plan Tuesday for how it plans to use $1 billion........

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