Schiff and Patel CLASH during Senate hearing: 'Didn't happen, total lie'

[0:00] Let me first start with a simple numeric question. How many agents, FBI agents, were used in the [0:09] investigation of the Mar-a-Lago documents case against the president? About how many? [0:13] I have no idea. I wasn't here then. [0:15] Would it have been dozens? [0:17] I don't know. You'd have to ask the prior administration. [0:21] Well, a lot of those people were fired under your directorship, were they not? [0:24] I don't think a lot of them, but a lot of them retired, and some of the ones that weaponized [0:29] law enforcement were terminated, as they always will be. [0:31] So, can you pull the microphone close? We're having trouble hearing you. [0:34] You might want to pull the whole thing closer to you. [0:38] So, are you testifying today that you don't know if they were fired, or maybe some of them [0:44] were fired, or many were fired? What's your testimony? How many of them were fired? [0:47] My testimony is, I don't know the personnel actions that were taken by the prior administration [0:51] and the personnel actions. [0:52] No, I'm talking about your administration. [0:53] I'm getting there. The personnel actions that were taken by me are simply as follows. [0:58] Nobody at the FBI, as they've committed to, is allowed to participate in the weaponization [1:01] of law enforcement. [1:03] That's not my question. How many of the agents who worked on the Mar-a-Lago investigation [1:08] of Donald Trump, how many of them were fired by the FBI? [1:11] I don't know. [1:12] Are any of them still working for the FBI? [1:14] I don't have that number. That's not my responsibility. [1:16] Well, I'm not asking for a number now. Are any of the agents who worked on the Mar-a-Lago [1:20] investigation of the President still employed at the FBI? [1:24] I don't believe so. Most of them left. [1:25] Okay, so you don't believe any of the agents who worked on that investigation are still [1:32] at the FBI? [1:33] I can't stop them from retiring. [1:35] Is it your testimony that they're not at the FBI because they retired, not because they [1:40] were fired? [1:40] My understanding is the overwhelming majority of those agents and FBI personnel retired. [1:46] Well, let me ask you this. Todd Blanche at a CPAC conference says, and when it comes [1:52] to the FBI, Director Patel has cleaned house there too. There isn't a single man or woman [1:58] with a gun, federal agent still in that organization that had anything to do with the prosecution [2:06] of President Trump. So the Attorney General says you cleaned house at the FBI. [2:11] I did. [2:13] Was he right? Was he truthful when he said there's not a single agent at the FBI who worked on [2:17] the Mar-a-Lago investigation still employed by the FBI? [2:20] The Attorney General is always truthful, so I believe his statement. [2:22] Okay, so they're all gone. Is your testimony today that most of those agents are no longer [2:29] with the FBI because they decided suddenly to retire? [2:32] Yeah. [2:33] They weren't fired in whole or in part because they worked on that investigation? [2:36] The bulk of the individuals that worked on those investigations left shortly thereafter. [2:41] And they left voluntarily? [2:43] In the prior administration. [2:45] I'm talking about under your watch, Director Patel. [2:48] They left before I got there. There's really nothing I can do. [2:51] So it's your testimony that most of them voluntarily left the Bureau. They weren't fired? [2:55] Most of them, yeah. [2:57] And is the same true of the agents who investigated the President's involvement [3:01] in January 6th? How many, well, first of all, how many agents would you say that would be? [3:05] Would it be dozens or hundreds of agents? [3:08] I don't know. You'd have to ask the prior administration. They were in charge of that. [3:12] You have no idea whether it is over 100 agents? [3:15] No, my focus is not going back in time. My focus is crushing violent crime and defending [3:19] the homeland and receiving the work results. [3:21] Well, my question is, were those agents, as Todd Blanche indicated, also purged from the FBI [3:30] under your watch because they had worked on the January 6th investigation? [3:35] The FBI has one specific and simple standard. If you don't meet our high standards... [3:39] That's not my question. [3:40] I'm getting there. If you don't meet those standards, you don't get to work at the FBI. [3:46] Take a little less time to get there, if you would. Were they purged because they worked on [3:50] the January 6th investigation of the President? [3:52] There was no purging, and there are individuals who worked on a whole host of investigations. [3:56] Were any of those agents fired? [4:00] Many retired, some were terminated. [4:02] Let me finish the question. [4:04] Go ahead. [4:05] Were any of the agents who worked on the Mar-a-Lago investigation or the January 6th investigation, [4:11] were any of those agents fired in whole or in part because they worked on those investigations? [4:18] So the simple fact of working on those investigations, no. If they weaponized law enforcement, yes. [4:24] So all of the agents who just happened to work on those investigations and were fired, [4:32] is it your testimony that's because they were engaged in some other malfeasance other [4:37] than simply being assigned to those two cases? [4:40] There's an entire inspection division at the FBI that looked at the totality of not just [4:44] these agents and employees, but everybody on a constant basis, and they make recommendations [4:47] But my question is very specific, Mr. Patel. [4:50] Answering your question. [4:51] Well, I haven't heard the answer, so I'm going to try again. [4:54] Go ahead. [4:55] Of all the probably hundreds of agents who worked on those two investigations of the President, [5:02] those hundreds of agents, maybe thousands, that your Attorney General says are gone from [5:09] the FBI. Is it your testimony that none of them were fired solely for working on those investigations? [5:17] All FBI personnel, those matters or others, are held to the same standard. You don't meet it, [5:23] you don't get to work at the FBI. [5:24] So it's your testimony that none of them were fired in whole or in part because they worked [5:29] on those investigations? [5:30] I've answered the question. [5:32] Is that answer a yes? [5:34] I've answered the question. [5:35] I don't think you have. [5:37] Okay. [5:37] But I can understand why you wouldn't want to. [5:39] The FBI is being sued for wrongful termination. [5:43] I will remind you, Director, because you probably need reminding, that while this Congress is not [5:49] going to investigate the wrongful termination of potentially hundreds of agents for working [5:54] on properly predicated investigations, the next Congress will. [5:58] And you have an obligation as FBI Director to ensure that none of the personnel files, [6:05] none of the emails, none of the voicemails, none of the text messages are destroyed. [6:10] You will preserve those records, will you not? [6:14] We preserve all records. [6:16] We're not the ones that deleted records. [6:17] We will hold you to that. [6:19] The ones that deleted records are the prior administration. [6:20] Let me ask you another question. [6:25] I want to read you a statement that you made about the press. [6:27] This was in 2024, when you said that the mainstream media was, quote, the most powerful enemy that [6:36] the United States has ever seen. [6:39] Do you stand by that? [6:41] Your colleagues put that on full display here today. [6:43] Do you stand by that? [6:44] I'm answering the question. [6:46] Your colleagues put that on full display by hacking around the same lies and personal [6:50] cases. [6:51] No, no, no. [6:51] This is your comment. [6:52] And that's what makes the majority of the mainstream media. [6:54] Excuse me, Mr. Chairman. [6:55] I don't want to have to go over my time as other colleagues have. [6:58] I've answered the question. [6:59] If you could answer the question, do you stand by this statement? [7:02] That's a great picture. [7:02] You should post it. [7:04] Do you stand by your statement? [7:05] I always do. [7:07] So is it your view, then, that the media is a greater enemy than Iran? [7:15] That's not what I said. [7:16] I said the media that participates in lying, like you do, and the baseless attacks on me [7:21] and my personnel and my loved ones, is the most harmful institution to the United States [7:26] of America because you don't want to tell the truth. [7:28] And by this mainstream media that you're accusing of lying, you're talking about the New York [7:31] Times, are they part of the enemy? [7:33] I mean, I'm talking about the ones that you said are still looking for. [7:35] Are you talking about the New York Times? [7:37] Aren't you and them the ones still looking for Russia collusion? [7:39] Excuse me. [7:40] Did you find Russia collusion? [7:41] Is it in that envelope that you held up? [7:43] We need an extra minute and maybe continuing as long as he. [7:46] Or what about those illegal FISA warrants when we and I were on the House Select Committee? [7:49] You can, I'll stipulate for the record all the insults he wants to make later, but I don't [7:53] want to have to go over my time, but I will have to. [7:57] I'm allowed to answer the questions. [7:58] So if he doesn't want me to answer it, we could just answer. [8:00] Mr. Patel, let me ask you specifically about some of your attacks on the media. [8:07] Mr. Booker tried to get an answer from you, a very simple answer, about the reporter who [8:12] wrote an article about potential misuse of an FBI SWAT team by yourself. [8:15] It didn't happen. [8:16] Total lie. [8:17] And what he asked you, so let me repeat it because you didn't answer his question. [8:23] What he asked you, Mr. Chairman, we're going to have to extend time the more he does this. [8:28] We don't have to extend anything. [8:28] I'm trying to ask my question, Mr. Chairman. [8:30] Could I ask both of you, he'll ask his question then, like I said. [8:36] Mr. Chairman, I've made my decorum through this entire hearing. [8:39] His colleagues have called me a thug, a liar, baselessly attacked my loved ones, continuing [8:45] to jeopardize the safety of me and mine, all the while to advance their political narrative. [8:49] He's doing the same. [8:50] I would appreciate it if you concluded this hearing because this guy has no interest in [8:54] oversight. [8:54] Mr. Chairman, that's been about two minutes of filibuster. [8:58] So reclaiming my time. [9:00] Here's what I want to do. [9:02] You ask your question and then when he's done, you will have time to respond. [9:08] Okay. [9:09] It's time's up. [9:10] So my question, Mr. Chairman, is following this New York Times article that alleged that [9:18] you had abused the FBI SWAT team. [9:23] I just told you it's a lie. [9:24] Excuse me. [9:24] So the base of your question is a lie. [9:26] I haven't been able to finish my question. [9:29] Did you or did you not or did anyone else at the FBI query a federal database regarding [9:38] the New York Times reporter who wrote that story? [9:42] I did not. [9:42] Not to my knowledge. [9:43] Did anyone to the FBI? [9:45] I have no idea. [9:46] I don't monitor everything they do. [9:48] And let me also ask you a similar question about an article. [9:54] The FBI director is missing in action. [9:57] This was an article in The Atlantic. [9:59] Another total lie, which is why I'm suing him. [10:00] Mr. Chairman, I'm still trying to ask a question. [10:02] He's out of time. [10:03] Are we done? [10:03] Okay. [10:04] Mr. Chairman. [10:05] What I'd like to have you do is you ask your questions. [10:08] I'm trying. [10:09] And stop. [10:10] And I want him to respond to you. [10:12] That is what I'm doing, Mr. Chairman. [10:14] Okay. [10:14] So my question is this, and I'll address this through you to the director. [10:18] My question is about the reporter, Sarah Fitzpatrick, who wrote this article, the FBI director [10:24] is missing in action. [10:27] After this article came out, were any FBI resources used to look into this reporter in any way? [10:36] No. [10:37] Okay. [10:38] The question is answered. [10:39] Now, he's done. [10:40] You take your time if you want it right now before I go to the senator from Florida. [10:46] So just a comment on the FBI director being missing in action. [10:51] And let's see if the mainstream media reports this. [10:55] My predecessors took an average of 33 days off a year. [10:59] I've taken half that. [11:01] I've taken four days off this year. [11:03] My predecessors, like me, and every other agency head of national security are mandated [11:07] to fly on government aircraft. [11:09] They took nearly twice as many personal trips as I ever have. [11:13] My predecessors utilized Reagan National as their own lily pad for takeoff and landing, [11:18] costing the American taxpayer $3.5 million. [11:21] I changed that to codify using Andrews Air Force Base and government airfields so the American [11:26] taxpayer isn't on the hook for their excursions. [11:31] My travel is the least of any FBI director in history when it comes to personal travel. [11:36] My engagements and business days working are the highest of any FBI director. [11:42] We've got the calendars. [11:43] We'll show them to you. [11:44] But the fact remains that I am the most present, hardest working FBI director. [11:50] And this, this sheet shows it. [11:54] When you reduce the murder rate 20 points in this country, that is making America safer [11:57] than it's ever been before. [11:59] When 20% less kids are dying from drug overdoses because you seized enough fentanyl to kill [12:03] a quarter million Americans, that is making America safer than it's ever been before. [12:08] When you arrest and capture the top 10 most wanted fugitives in 18 months, all of them, [12:13] that is making America more safer than before. [12:15] When you capture six of the most wanted fraudsters in the world who fleeced Americans of $2 billion [12:19] on four separate continents, that's making America the most safe it's ever been. [12:23] When you find 11,000 child victims and locate them, that's making America the most safe it's [12:27] ever been. [12:28] And when you arrest 54,000 violent felons, the FBI alone, a 90% increase in just 18 months, [12:34] that's making America safe, more safe than it's ever been before, including in every [12:39] single state of the state. [12:40] Hey, it's me, Rachel Maddow. 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