Calls for FBI Director Kash Patel’s removal reached a fever pitch this week after a House Judiciary Committee hearing exploded into a viral showdown. Rebukes, sharp questions, and jaw-dropping moments left Patel red-faced and struggling to respond.
Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett wasted no time setting the tone.
“I will agree that I definitely take issue with a number of decisions that Donald Trump makes, especially when it comes to the people that he decides to appoint to very important positions, including this one,” Crockett began. “But when I say that you are the least qualified FBI director in the history of the FBI, that is real. Because you are the only one that never even served with the FBI prior to joining, yet we are supposed to believe that you are the greatest thing since sliced bread,” she added. She barely glanced at Patel as she shredded him in public.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett Clashes With FBI Director Kash Patel in Heated Exchange
Rep. Jasmine Crockett delivered a fiery rebuke to FBI Director Kash Patel during a congressional hearing, telling him, “What I want to go through is to talk about why you are a failure, and why… pic.twitter.com/1ng7Y7spES
— News is Dead (@newsisdead) September 18, 2025
When Patel tried to interrupt with, “That’s false,” Crockett cut him off cold. “I didn’t ask you a question.” She didn’t stop there. “Now, what I want to talk about is why you are a failure, and why, honestly, we just need to tell you bye-bye.”
The clip of that 60-second exchange quickly went viral. “She wiped him clean lol,” one viewer wrote. “She will WALK OVER his incompetent, cross-eyed ass,” another added. “She. Did. Not. Stutter,” a third comment read.
Others discussed Patel’s reaction. “Kash’s gonna cry in the car,” one post read. Another flatly stated, “He definitely cried in the car after this.”
Crockett’s point was simple. Patel had never served with the FBI before his appointment. This is a fact he could not dodge. One commentator said, “Gahhdamn she fried this man.”
If Crockett had left Patel staggered, Rep. Eric Swalwell of California nearly finished him off. Swalwell pressed Patel on whether he told Attorney General Pam Bondi that Donald Trump’s name appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files. Patel admitted he had not reviewed the full records, prompting Swalwell to accuse him of dereliction of duty.
“You said you don’t know the number of times Trump’s name appears in the files, so it could be at least a thousand times, is that right?” Swalwell asked.
Thomas Massie says the FBI has 20 names in the Epstein files they refuse to investigate. Kash Patel acted like he had no idea what Massie was talking about. Beyond Trump, who are they protecting? pic.twitter.com/1aHJQcxZCj
— Mike Nellis (@MikeNellis) September 19, 2025
Patel responded, “The number is a totally misleading factor.” Swalwell wasn’t letting up. “Do you think it might be your job to know the number?” Patel said his responsibility was national safety, not “political innuendo.”
Then came the surreal moment. Patel attempted to dodge the question by reciting the alphabet. “The question is simple,” Swalwell said. “Did you tell the attorney general that Donald Trump’s name is in the Epstein files? Yes or no?” Patel mocked, “Use the alphabet. A, B, C.”
Swalwell hit back, “You’ve not answered it, and we will take your evasiveness as a consciousness of guilt.” Clips of the bizarre exchange spread like wildfire online. Critics accused Patel of treating Congress like a late-night comedy sketch.
Even his mannerisms stole the show. On the podcast Office Hours Live, hosts decoded footage of Patel bulging his eyes, licking his gums, fiddling with his tie, and repeatedly picking up and putting down his pen. They compared him to Rodney Dangerfield and joked he looked like he was “sending hand signals to Russia.”
Viewers piled on. “This was belly laugh material.” “Hilarious.” “Too funny.” One noted Patel “looked like he was sweating bullets,” while another said, “Poor little nervous Patel … this gets funnier every second.”
Even Republicans joined the pressure. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, leading efforts to release the Epstein files, confronted Patel with accounts from victims naming at least 20 powerful men left out of FBI records. These included bankers, politicians, entertainers, and billionaires.
Patel replied: “Sir, I have asked my FBI agents to review the entirety of the Epstein files and bring forth any credible information … There have been no new materials brought to me.”
He added, “We are not in the habit of releasing incredible information. That’s not what we do.”
