Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., clashed with FBI director nominee Kash Patel during his confirmation hearing on Thursday, particularly over a recording of a song released by Capitol Riot inmates.
Schiff began by asking Patel if he stood by prior testimony that he had nothing to do with the recording of the song, which the Democrat said featured President Donald Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
“[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’.”
Schiff asked Patel why he told Bannon that.
“That’s why it says ‘we’ as you highlighted,” Patel incredulously shot back.
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“Yeah, and you’re part of that ‘we’ – right – when you say ‘we’ that includes you, Mr. Patel,” Schiff angrily replied.
“Not in every instance.” Patel said, adding he did not personally partake in the recording or mastering of the single.
Schiff was undeterred: “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 said.
Notably, in August 1997, President Bill Clinton was pressed on his sexual relations with intern Monica Lewinsky, and responded with a similar tenor as to which usage of the word “is” was being invoked during grand jury testimony.
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“It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is. If the—if he—if ‘is’ means is and never has been, that is not—that is one thing. If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement,” Clinton said.
In Thursday’s hearing, however, Patel said he was using the word “we” appropriately, while Schiff said he “promoted the hell out of it” – referencing the inmates’ single.
“I don’t know what that means, but I promoted the heck out of raising money for families in need,” Patel shot back.
Schiff then asked Patel to turn around and address the police officers in the room, claiming the inmates on the recording he purportedly promoted had assaulted them or their colleagues on January 6, 2021.
“I’m looking at you. You’re talking to me,” Patel sternly replied.
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When Schiff asked Patel to “tell them how proud you are” to see Trump pardon all such inmates, Patel said it was “an abject lie – and you know it.”
“I’ve never, never, ever accepted violence against law enforcement. I’ve worked with these men and women, as you know, you my entire life.”
