FBI Director Kash Patel faces 2nd grilling before House lawmakers

(WASHINGTON) — FBI Director Kash Patel kicked off his hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday defending his work leading the agency and touting the quick arrest of the suspect in the shooting of conservative activist and influencer Charlie Kirk last week.

Patel used his opening statement to highlight the work he has done in his first few months leading the FBI — including putting out pictures of the suspect in the Charlie Kirk case, which he said “led to his apprehension.”

“Because of the video that the FBI released under my direction, because of the photographs that they released, they identified their son,” Patel said of the details of the apprehension of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the alleged shooter in Kirk’s killing last week.

Patel’s comments come after he faced questions about Kirk’s assassination when he appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, he said the FBI is investigating if others are involved after the online messaging platform, Discord confirmed reports that before the shooting the alleged shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, posted messages to a small group of friends on the platform that allegedly said, “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all … It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this.”

“There are a number of individuals that are currently being investigated and interrogated, and a number yet to be investigated and interrogated, specific to that chat room. So we are very much in our ongoing posture of investigation,” Patel said, adding that other people could be involved.

The investigation into Kirk’s death is ongoing. On Tuesday, Robinson was charged with a slew of offenses, including aggravated murder. No one else has been charged in the killing.

At the beginning of Tuesday’s hearing, Ranking Member Jamie Raskin said that Patel, as the FBI director, has left America “less safe” than ever before and accused Patel of carrying out President Donald Trump’s agenda.

“I’m afraid, Director Patel, you’ve given us reason to believe you’ve used the powers of FBI to serve Donald Trump and his agenda of partisan retribution. You’ve broken your promise not to do that,” the Maryland Democrat said.

On Tuesday, Patel appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he feuded with Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff and Cory Booker — at one point calling the California senator a “political buffoon” and an “utter coward.”

Schiff hit back as the two yelled over each other: “You can make an internet troll the FBI director, but [he] will always be nothing more than an internet troll.”

In a shouting match with Booker, the New Jersey senator said that Patel was making the country “weaker and less safe.”

Patel fired back that Booker’s comments do “not bring this country together.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.