Kash Patel and Democratic senator trade alcohol-related allegations at congressional hearing

CongressKash Patel and Democratic senator trade alcohol-related allegations at congressional hearingThe FBI director and Sen. Chris Van Hollen got into a heated exchange and agreed to a challenge to undergo a drinking “audit.”Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleVan Hollen questions FBI Director Patel about alleged drinking problems03:36Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 12, 2026, 7:30 PM EDTBy Dareh Gregorian and Justin GoldmanFBI Director Kash Patel got into a heated exchange with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., on Tuesday at a Senate hearing that included accusations of overconsumption of alcohol and day-drinking.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The remarkable back-and-forth took place during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee discussion of the FBI’s budget and ended with the two agreeing to a challenge to undergo a drinking “audit.”“Reports of your being so drunk and hungover that your staff had to force entry into your home are extremely alarming,” Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the panel, said during his opening statement. “If true, they represent a gross dereliction of your duty.”Patel denied the reported allegations, saying: “It’s a total farce. I don’t even know where you get it from.”When Van Hollen pressed him on a recent article from The Atlantic about his alleged drinking and absences, Patel said, “I will not be tarnished by baseless allegations and fraudulent statements from the media.”At one point, Patel fired back at Van Hollen, “The only individual drinking on the taxpayer’s dime is you.”“Unlike your baseless reports, the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang-banging rapist was you,” he yelled, apparently referring to Van Hollen’s April 2025 trip to visit Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the administration said it had mistakenly deported to El Salvador.Abrego was not charged w...