'Can't be trusted': Schiff sets social media ablaze after clashing with Kash Patel during explosive hearing

A clash connected Thursday betwixt Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Kash Patel, the nominee for FBI director, acceptable societal media ablaze erstwhile conservatives ripped into the caller California legislator aft what they saw arsenic a triumph for the Trump nominee.

Schiff, successful his enactment of questioning astatine Patel’s confirmation hearing, began by asking Patel whether helium stood by anterior grounds that helium had thing to bash with the signaling of a opus astir the Jan. 6 Capitol riot inmates.

"[That] is interesting, due to the fact that here's what you told Steve Bannon connected his podcast: ‘So, what we thought would beryllium chill is if we captured that audio and then, of course, had the top president, President Donald J. Trump, recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we went to a workplace and recorded it, mastered it, digitized it, and enactment it retired arsenic a song.'"

KASH PATEL ENRAGES ADAM SCHIFF IN CLINTONIAN BATTLE OVER THE WORD ‘WE’ AND A JANUARY 6 SONG 

The 2 quibbled implicit the meaning of "we" and whether it included Patel.

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's prime to beryllium manager of the FBI, appears earlier the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation proceeding astatine the Capitol successful Washington Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

"Yeah, and you’re portion of that ‘we’ — close — erstwhile you accidental ‘we,’ that includes you, Mr. Patel," Schiff said.

"Not successful each instance." Patel said, adding helium had not personally participated successful the signaling oregon mastering of the single.

Schiff responded, "Well, that's new. So, erstwhile you said ‘we,' you didn't truly mean you. Is that your testimony?"

"Not unless you person a caller explanation for the connection ‘we,'" Patel said.

In Thursday’s hearing, however, Patel said helium was utilizing the connection "we" appropriately, portion Schiff said helium had "promoted the hellhole retired of it," referencing the inmates’ single.

"I don't cognize what that means, but I promoted the heck retired of raising wealth for families successful need," Patel changeable back.

In different exchange, Schiff asked Patel if an FBI manager promoted a song about radical who sprayed capsicum spray successful the look of an FBI agent, "would you accidental they were acceptable to beryllium director?"

"I americium acceptable to beryllium the manager of the FBI," Patel said.

Supporters of the Trump medication hammered Schiff and praised Patel implicit the exchanges.

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a Democratic Senate candidate, speaks during a Get Out The Vote conscionable and greet astatine IATSE Local 80 March 4, 2024, successful Burbank, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

MAJOR CHANGES PATEL COULD MAKE ON DAY 1 AT FBI

"California’s Senator @SenAdamSchiff screams and screeches astir the January 6th choir during Kash’s confirmation - and wholly misses an accidental to correspond commonsense Californians," erstwhile DNI Director Richard Grenell posted connected X. "We privation representatives who don’t lie. Who don’t miss the large picture. Schiff is partisan and petty."

National Review contributor Pradheep Shanker said "any committee that [Sen. Mazie] Hirono, Schiff oregon [Sen. Sheldon] Whitehouse is connected is 1 wherever Democrats wholly suffer each credibility."

"I honestly thought Bernie Sanders yelling astatine RFK Jr. astir onesies was going to beryllium the craziest happening from the hearings this week," Daily Signal columnist Tony Kinnett said. "Then I watched Adam Schiff yelling astatine Kash Patel for 5 minutes astir opus remixes. Good Lord."

"Schiff can’t beryllium trusted to service connected committees," Judicial Watch Chairman Tom Fitton said.

Schiff argued helium had won the exchange.

"Kash Patel raised wealth for January 6 insurrectionists who attacked instrumentality enforcement. I asked him to look those officers successful the oculus and archer them helium was arrogant of what helium did. He couldn't," Schiff wrote connected X.

It was 1 of a fig of fiery exchanges during the hearing. Democrats quizzed Patel astir his record, including statements helium had made successful his book, "Government Gangsters."

Patel slammed what helium described arsenic "grotesque" attacks against him.

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"If the champion attacks connected maine are going to beryllium mendacious accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations, the lone happening this assemblage is doing is defeating the credibility of the men and women astatine the FBI," helium said.

"I stood with them present successful this country, successful each theatre of warfare we have. I was connected the crushed successful work of this nation. And immoderate accusations leveled against maine that I would someway enactment governmental bias earlier the Constitution are grotesquely unfair."