Tipsheet

Kash Patel Claps Back in Fiery Senate Hearing As Chris Van Hollen Accuses Him of a Drinking Problem

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  May 12, 2026 4:45 PM

FBI Director Kash Patel fired back at Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) during a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, where lawmakers were questioning Patel over the FBI’s 2027 budget request.

As is usual with budget request hearings, Sen. Van Hollen pivoted to Patel’s alleged drinking habit, an accusation that has circulated in media reports for several weeks. And Director Patel gave him quite the answer that should put the rumors to rest.

"Are you willing to take the test, it's called the audit test, that members of our active duty military and others take to determine whether they have a drinking problem?" the senator asked.

"I'll take any test you're willing to take," the FBI Director said.

"I will take it, Director Patel. I'll take it. You ready to take it?"

"Let's go."

The exchange became even more heated when Kash Patel turned the tables on Sen. Van Hollen over his own controversial trip to El Salvador, where the senator met with Kilmar Ábrego García, an alleged illegal alien who became a central controversy in the Trump administration’s mass deportation crackdown. 

Patel pointedly called out the senator's hypocrisy, blasting the Democrat for accusing him of having a drinking problem while Van Hollen travels abroad to share drinks with an illegal alien instead of focusing on his own constituents.

This comes as rumors have swirled in recent weeks that Director Patel could be the next cabinet official on the chopping block, though President Trump has publicly pushed back against those claims.