FBI Director Kash Patel appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his first oversight hearing, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — FBI Director Kash Patel is confronting skeptical Democrats at a Senate hearing Tuesday, touting his leadership of the nation’s top federal law enforcement agency and facing questions about the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s killing, the case against sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the firings of senior FBI officials who have accused Patel of illegal political retribution.
His Senate Judiciary Committee appearance is the oversight hearing of Patel’s tumultuous tenure and provides a high-stakes platform at a time of mounting concerns about political violence inside the United States, which President Donald Trump has squarely blamed on the left.
Patel was asked by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., whether the Kirk shooting is being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups, and Patel responded, “We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence.”
Patel also said that the FBI is investigating “anyone and everyone” who was involved in an online gaming chatroom on Discord with the alleged shooter. That chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, Patel said.
