The clash on Thursday between Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Kash Patel, the nominee for FBI director, sparked controversy on social media as conservatives criticized the new California senator following what they perceived as a victory for the Trump nominee.
During Patel’s confirmation hearing, Schiff questioned Patel about his prior testimony regarding the recording of a song related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot inmates.
“[That] is interesting, because here’s what you told Steve Bannon on his podcast: ‘So, what we thought would be cool is if we captured that audio and then, of course, had the greatest president, President Donald J. Trump, recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we went to a studio and recorded it, mastered it, digitized it, and put it out as a song.'”
KASH PATEL ENRAGES ADAM SCHIFF IN CLINTONIAN BATTLE OVER THE WORD ‘WE’ AND A JANUARY 6 SONG
The two debated the meaning of “we” and whether it included Patel.
Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s choice to be director of the FBI, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing at the Capitol in Washington Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
“Yeah, and you’re part of that ‘we’ — right — when you say ‘we,’ that includes you, Mr. Patel,” Schiff said.
“Not in every instance,” Patel replied, stating he did not personally participate in the recording or mastering of the single.
Schiff then pressed, “Well, that’s new. So, when you said ‘we,’ you didn’t really mean you. Is that your testimony?”
“Not unless you have a new definition for the word ‘we,'” Patel retorted.
During the hearing, Patel defended his use of “we,” while Schiff accused him of promoting the inmates’ single.
“I don’t know what that means, but I promoted the heck out of raising money for families in need,” Patel responded.
In another exchange, Schiff questioned Patel’s fitness for the role of FBI director based on promoting a song about people assaulting an FBI agent with pepper spray.
“I am fit to be the director of the FBI,” Patel affirmed.
Conservatives praised Patel and criticized Schiff for the exchanges.
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a Democratic Senate candidate, speaks during a Get Out The Vote meet and greet at IATSE Local 80 March 4, 2024, in Burbank, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
MAJOR CHANGES PATEL COULD MAKE ON DAY 1 AT FBI
“California’s Senator @SenAdamSchiff screams and screeches about the January 6th choir during Kash’s confirmation – and completely misses an opportunity to represent commonsense Californians,” former DNI Director Richard Grenell posted on X. “We want representatives who don’t lie. Who don’t miss the big picture. Schiff is partisan and petty.”
National Review contributor Pradheep Shanker said “any committee that [Sen. Mazie] Hirono, Schiff or [Sen. Sheldon] Whitehouse is on is one where Democrats completely lose all credibility.”
“I honestly thought Bernie Sanders yelling at RFK Jr. about onesies was going to be the craziest thing from the hearings this week,” Daily Signal columnist Tony Kinnett said. “Then I watched Adam Schiff yelling at Kash Patel for 5 minutes about song remixes. Good Lord.”
“Schiff can’t be trusted to serve on committees,” Judicial Watch Chairman Tom Fitton said.
Schiff claimed victory in the exchange.
“Kash Patel raised money for January 6 insurrectionists who attacked law enforcement. I asked him to look those officers in the eye and tell them he was proud of what he did. He couldn’t,” Schiff wrote on X.
It was one of several heated exchanges during the hearing where Democrats questioned Patel’s record, including statements from his book, “Government Gangsters.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“If the best attacks on me are going to be false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations, the only thing this body is doing is defeating the credibility of the men and women at the FBI,” Patel stated.
“I stood with them here in this country, in every theater of war we have. I was on the ground in service of this nation. And any accusations leveled against me that I would somehow put political bias before the Constitution are grotesquely unfair.”
