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Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., sharply criticized Kash Patel’s tenure as FBI director Wednesday, telling reporters that he viewed Patel’s leadership as deeply partisan and a “terrible tragedy” for the nation’s sprawling law enforcement agency. 

Speaking at a news conference alongside former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other House Democrats, Schiff took umbrage at Patel’s testimony one day earlier before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Schiff said further crystallized his concerns about politicization within the bureau.

The FBI “has been the premier law enforcement agency in the country, and the world, because they’ve been constantly professional and non-partisan,” Schiff said Wednesday, noting the close working relationship he had with FBI agents during the years he spent as a federal prosecutor. 

FBI AGENTS GROUP TELLS CONGRESS TO TAKE URGENT ACTION TO PROTECT AGAINST POLITICIZATION

“It is a terrible tragedy, I think, for the men and women of the bureau to have such poor leadership that is replacing expertise with incompetence, that is replacing non-partisanship with the most rabid partisanship,” Schiff told Fox News Digital. “And this is not unrelated to why we’re here today.”

His remarks come as Patel appeared on Capitol Hill Wednesday for a second day of testimony before the Senate and House Judiciary committees.

FBI AGENTS DETAIL J6 ROLE IN EXHAUSTIVE QUESTIONNAIRE EMPLOYEES ‘WERE INSTRUCTED TO FILL OUT’

Both hearings were marked by sharp lines of questioning from Democrats, who grilled Patel on issues ranging from a flurry of FBI firings, the bureau’s handling of the Epstein files and concerns of politicization, among many other topics.

Schiff, in particular, pressed Patel on his tenure at the FBI, saying the bureau’s agents — mostly assigned to its 52 field offices across the country and loath to see their work politicized — wanted to know what, if any, marching orders Patel had received from President Donald Trump.

The heated back-and-forth devolved into a shouting match between the two as Schiff pressed Patel repeatedly on the firings of FBI agents and whether those individuals were removed for political reasons.

Patel, for his part, described Schiff as a “political buffoon.” 

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Schiff said Patel’s appearance did little to assuage his broader fears of weaponization within the bureau.

“You can’t have a vibrant democracy without the rule of law,” he told Fox News Digital. “You can’t have the rule of law if you have a weaponized FBI and a weaponized Justice Department, and, sadly, that’s what we have here today,” Schiff said.

He also weighed in on Patel’s remarks yesterday on the Epstein files, another issue that sparked intense criticism from lawmakers, after Patel claimed Tuesday that there was “no credible evidence” that Jeffrey Epstein was trafficking women other than for himself. 

Schiff said it was a “startling claim,” particularly from someone who had previously promoted the belief that Epstein maintained a vast client list of powerful people.

“So, it was completely contradictory to everything he said in the past,” he said. He also noted Patel’s “refusal” to answer his questions on why Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to press Ghislaine Maxwell further on the Cabinet members she identified as being “close” to Epstein or having a relationship with him during a two-day interview in July.

“Blanche refused to ask who they were and just ignored her comment,” Schiff added. 

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“And this is, again, the kind of incompetence we’re seeing,” he said. “Incompetence is probably the most polite thing I can describe, but it certainly looks like a cover-up.”

The Justice Department and FBI have struggled to quell the mounting public pressure on them to release more information related to the Epstein investigation, underscoring the story’s sticking power in a fast-moving news cycle and among Trump supporters, who have been some of the leading voices in demanding the information be released.

The House voted Wednesday to advance a resolution honoring slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, clearing the way for floor debate later this week.

Lawmakers voted in favor of advancing the measure and a bill to avert a government shutdown in a joint mechanism known as a “rule vote.”

The rule was adopted in a 216-210 vote along party lines. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who is known to be opposing the federal funding bill, was the lone lawmaker from either side to vote “present.”

Massie explained to Fox News Digital that he vehemently supports the Kirk resolution but opposed an unrelated provision in the rule that blocks Congress’ ability from weighing in on tariff policy.

ABC REPORTER CALLS CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN’S TEXT MESSAGES WITH TRANSGENDER PARTNER ‘VERY TOUCHING’

“I’m a cosponsor of the Kirk resolution, and obviously I will vote for it, but shamefully they turned off Congress’ ability to vote on tariffs with this rule,” Massie said.

Rule votes are procedural hurdles that commonly tie together unrelated pieces of legislation that, if adopted, allow House lawmakers to debate each measure individually before respective votes. 

The current rule’s adoption means House lawmakers could vote on the resolution to honor Kirk on either Thursday or Friday.

A vote on the measure to avert a government shutdown, a short-term extension of current federal funding levels called a continuing resolution or CR, is expected Friday morning.

It is not surprising that no Democrats supported the rule’s adoption on Wednesday; rule votes traditionally fall along party lines and have rarely seen bipartisan crossover, even if the legislation they include has wide support from both Republicans and Democrats.

And while Democrats are largely expected to buck the GOP-led government funding patch, the resolution to honor Kirk’s legacy is expected to get healthy bipartisan support.

The Turning Point USA founder was assassinated last week during a college campus speaking event in Utah.

The resolution to honor him, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., lauded Kirk as “one of the most prominent voices in America, engaging in respectful, civil discourse across college campuses, media platforms and national forums, always seeking to elevate truth, foster understanding and strengthen the Republic.”

SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES OVER SECURITY LAPSES SURROUNDING THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING

It also said Kirk’s “commitment to civil discussion and debate stood as a model for young Americans across the political spectrum, and he worked tirelessly to promote unity without compromising on conviction.” It called his killing “a sobering reminder of the growing threat posed by political extremism and hatred in our society.”

Both Democrats and Republicans have released statements condemning political violence in the wake of Kirk’s killing.

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The latter measure that advanced on Wednesday evening, the CR, will keep government agencies funded at current levels through Nov. 21 if it’s passed by the House and Senate and signed into law by President Donald Trump.

That bill includes a combined $88 million in added security funds for Congress, the judicial branch and the executive branch.

Conversations about boosting lawmaker security, in particular, had been ongoing but took on new urgency after Kirk’s death.

The House of Representatives voted along bipartisan lines on Wednesday to table a resolution to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., over comments about Charlie Kirk.

Four House Republicans voted with Democrats to table the legislation, effectively blocking it from receiving its own House-wide vote. A vote to table is a procedural mechanism allowing House members to vote against consideration of a bill without having to vote on the bill itself.

The measure was blocked in a narrow 214 to 213 vote. The four Republicans who voted to table the measure are Reps. Mike Flood, R-Neb., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., and Cory Mills, R-Fla.

ABC REPORTER CALLS CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN’S TEXT MESSAGES WITH TRANSGENDER PARTNER ‘VERY TOUCHING’

McClintock told Fox News Digital that while he condemned Omar’s response to Kirk’s death, he voted against moving forward with the censure based on First Amendment grounds.

“Ilhan Omar’s comments regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk are vile and contemptible. They deserve the harshest criticism of every man and woman of good will.  But this disgusting and hateful speech is still speech and is protected by our First Amendment,” he said.

“Censure is formal punishment by the House and we have already gone too far down this road.  Omar’s comments were not made in the House and even if they were, they broke no House rules.  A free society depends on tolerating ALL speech — even hateful speech — confident that the best way to sort good from evil is to put the two side by side and trust the people to know the difference.”

Hurd responded similarly, “Ilhan Omar’s comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, as well as her comments about those who supported Charlie, are ghoulish and evil. I condemn them completely.”

“But I voted against today’s censure because it tried to strip another Member of Congress from committees and to silence her for exercising the First Amendment right to free speech. The right response to reprehensible speech like this isn’t silencing: it’s more speech. That’s what Charlie Kirk believed and practiced, and I agree,” he told Fox News Digital.

Mills had been facing his own retaliatory censure led by House progressives, but that effort was dropped when Omar’s censure failed.

He cited First Amendment grounds on X when explaining his vote as well, however. “The 7 Articles and 27 Amendments of our Constitution are not followed only when it serves your purpose…We may not like or agree with what someone says, but that does not mean we should deny their protected 1A Right,” Mills posted.

Flood told Fox News Digital that the proper recourse would be referring Omar to the House Ethics Committee before a censure.

 “Ilhan Omar’s statements and social media posts are reprehensible and should be referred to the Ethics Committee. The appropriate time to consider a censure motion would be after ethics reviews her conduct,” Flood said.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., moved to force a vote on the resolution Tuesday by introducing it as “privileged,” a mechanism that requires House leaders to deal with a measure within two legislative days. 

It’s part of the continued fallout from Omar’s remarks made days after Kirk’s assassination, which conservatives have accused of disparaging the conservative activist’s legacy.

SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES OVER SECURITY LAPSES SURROUNDING THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING

She specifically faced backlash over an interview with progressive news outlet Zeteo, where she criticized Kirk’s past commentary and Republicans’ reaction to the shooting. She later accused Republicans of taking her words out of context, and she called Kirk’s death “mortifying.”

She previously told Zeteo days after Kirk’s assassination that he had “downplayed slavery and what Black people have gone through in this country by saying Juneteenth shouldn’t exist.”

“There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate,” the “Squad” member said. “There is nothing more effed up, you know, like, than to completely pretend that, you know, his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so.”

She later posted on X amid the backlash, “While I disagreed with Charlie Kirk vehemently about his rhetoric, my heart breaks for his wife and children. I don’t wish violence on anyone. My faith teaches me the power of peace, empathy, and compassion. Right-wing accounts trying to spin a false story when I condemned his murder multiple times is fitting for their agenda to villainize the left to hide from the fact that Donald Trump gins up hate on a daily basis.”

Kirk was shot and killed during a college campus speaking event in Utah. 

Mace introduced her resolution on the House floor Tuesday by reading it on the House floor.

“Charlie Kirk was a lifelong advocate for freedom of speech, civil political discourse and the political engagement of youth,” Mace read aloud. “One day after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Representative Ilhan Omar gave an interview on Zeteo’s town hall with Mehdi Hassan, in which she smeared Charlie Kirk and implied he was to blame for his own murder.”

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Mace also accused Omar of reposting a video that said, “Don’t be fooled, these people don’t give a single s— about Charlie Kirk. They’re just using his death to further their Christo-fascist agenda.”

Other progressives leaped to Omar’s defense, including Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., who posted on X, “Babe, those are not direct quotes from Ilhan Omar. According to the APA, if you use a direct quotation, it must sustain your claim. The quotes you used are not Ilhan’s words, they are not in context and do not prove your point. Read before you tweet.”

It’s one of several measures targeting Omar over her comments.

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., who is running for Senate, introduced his own measure to strip Omar of her committee assignments on Monday.

A federal immigration judge has ordered Mahmoud Khalil deported to either Algeria or Syria after ruling he hid information on his U.S. green card application.

Judge Jamee Comans issued the Sept. 12 decision in Louisiana and said that Khalil did not disclose his internship with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and ties with Columbia University Apartheid Divest, an anti-Israel campus coalition.

Court filings unsealed Wednesday and published by the American Civil Liberties Union also show Coman cited the activism ties as central to her ruling. 

NEWLY RELEASED MAHMOUD KHALIL SPOTTED BACK AT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

She denied Khalil’s motion for relief, writing that the omissions were deliberate and constituted grounds for removal.

Federal authorities argue that Khalil’s misrepresentations involved politically sensitive affiliations, raising both national security and foreign policy concerns.

Khalil, a legal permanent resident, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 8 at his Manhattan apartment. 

He spent more than three months in detention in Louisiana before being released in June, when U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled he was neither a flight risk nor a danger to the public.

ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL POSTS $1 BOND AFTER FEDERAL JUDGE RULES TRUMP ADMIN CAN’T DETAIN HIM

Farbiarz also temporarily blocked Khalil’s removal while reviewing his claim that the government’s actions amounted to retaliation for protected political speech.

Khalil’s legal team confirmed Wednesday that they plan to appeal the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals. They framed the case as a broader civil rights battle.

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“It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech,” Khalil said in a statement. “Their latest attempt, through a kangaroo immigration court, exposes their true colors once again.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment. 

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he will designate antifa, a left-wing activist group, as a “major terrorist organization.”

Trump described the group as “A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER,” in a Truth Social announcement.

The president added he will be “strongly recommending” that those funding antifa be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices. 

The announcement comes just days after Trump said he would “100%” consider the designation.

This is breaking news. This story will be updated to reflect the latest details.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

–Gun seller takes stand in Trump assassination attempt trial with key testimony about rifle purchase

-DHS blames political rhetoric for surge in assaults on ICE agents after Charlie Kirk murder

-House Dem warns both sides on ‘road to ruin’ as political divide deepens over Kirk assassination

Kash clashes with the Senate

FBI Director Kash Patel is testifying before House lawmakers on Wednesday in a hearing focused on the bureau’s dramatic reforms in the second Trump administration and the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Patel is facing questions in five-minute rounds from Republicans and Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee as part of an annual oversight hearing, marking the director’s second appearance in as many days on Capitol Hill after he testified before the Senate one day prior.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, raised what he said was a weaponization of the FBI against conservatives, reviving concerns his committee regularly brought up during FBI Director Christopher Wray’s tenure. Jordan praised Patel for what he said was a course correction…Read more

White House

PROFESSOR VEEP: Donald Trump’s first vice president snags new job

Capitol Hill

POLITICAL SHOWDOWN: Patel spars with House Democrats on allegations he’s involved in Epstein ‘cover-up’: ‘Categorically false’

INFANT HEALTH POLICY: Rand Paul clashes with top Democrat over CDC pushing vaccines on infants

BROKEN HOUSE: ‘Squad’ member, Nancy Mace clash on social media: ‘You belong in rehab’

Across America 

GROOMING CRACKDOWN: Pentagon unveils new ‘clean shaven’ standards, only allows medical exemptions for one year

GOP COLLISION: Republican who defied Trump over 2020 election results launches battleground state governor bid

MAYOR VS FAITH: Whitmer quiet on Muslim mayor telling critic of terrorist sympathizer he’s ‘not welcome’

Charlie Kirk

BIGGER THAN EVER: ‘This is the turning point:’ TPUSA says campus chapter requests surge over 54,000 after Kirk’s assassination

SPEECH SHIELD: Liberal professors’ group backs faculty speech after Charlie Kirk assassination, silent on condemning attack

‘SOMBER’ REFLECTION: Utah Valley University mourns Charlie Kirk as campus reopens after assassination: ‘Extremely traumatic’

LEGACY IN MOTION: Arizona highway could honor Charlie Kirk after assassination rocks conservative movement

HATE IN SCHOOLS: Celebratory, dismissive reactions to Charlie Kirk’s death putting educators under scrutiny

FREE SPEECH FIGHT: Mamdani labeled Kirk a ‘far-right extremist’ who should be canceled from speaking in NYC

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, blasted organizations and individuals allegedly funding protests at various Charlie Kirk memorials, in addition to backing “violent” and “extreme” anti-ICE and anti-Israel demonstrations. 

In July, Cruz introduced legislation that would allow the Department of Justice (DOJ) to impose Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges on individuals and organizations allegedly behind funding violent protests.

“I urge the FBI and the Department of Justice to do is follow the money,” Cruz told Fox News Digital. “This violence, we’re saying, the assassination of Charlie Kirk was horrific.

“It was a politically motivated assassination.”

STUDENT EXPELLED AFTER BEING CAUGHT ON VIDEO ACTING OUT CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION AT TEXAS STATE VIGIL

“This follows a string of politically motivated violence, including the Black Lives Matter and antifa riots of several years ago,” Cruz continued. “Including the anti-Semitic riots on college campuses that played out over the last couple of years, including the pro-open-borders riots in American cities.”

Since the assassination of the conservative activist Kirk last week, local and campus police have arrested a number of students and demonstrators who have disrupted vigils and memorial events. 

Cruz’s bill, the Financial Underwriting of Nefarious Demonstrations and Extremist Riots (STOP FUNDERs) Act, also addresses the violent anti-ICE riots that took place in California as well as the antisemitic protests that have plagued college campuses since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. 

TED CRUZ SAYS HATE SPEECH ‘ABSOLUTELY’ PROTECTED BY FIRST AMENDMENT FOLLOWING CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION

At a heated Senate Judiciary hearing this week with FBI Director Kash Patel as the lead witness, Patel agreed with Cruz’s legislative targeting alleged funding groups.

Cruz questioned Patel during Tuesday’s hearing, asking if the FBI would benefit from “Congress passing into law the STOP FUNDERs Act and if rioting was added to the list of predicate offenses for RICO.”

Patel responded during the hearing in agreement with Cruz’s assertion about the bill. 

President Donald Trump himself and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller have also spoken out about groups funding extreme demonstrations.

KASH PATEL FACES HOUSE GRILLING AFTER TENSE SENATE CLASHES OVER KIRK ASSASSINATION

“They have organized drop points for weapons, organized drop points for gas masks, organized drop points for all the materials necessary to launch a riot,” Miller told reporters Monday. “I think the key point the president has been making is somebody is paying for all of this. This is not happening for free.”

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Cruz has been outspoken about condemning the assassination of Kirk, and when asked if the accused assassin should receive the death penalty, Cruz told Fox News Digital, “the death penalty is absolutely merited.”

“I am glad they’re seeking the death penalty,” Cruz added. “The very worst crimes deserve the ultimate punishment.”

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

Jurors in the federal trial of Ryan Routh — accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in 2024 — heard pivotal testimony Wednesday from the man prosecutors say sold Routh the semiautomatic rifle tied to the case.

Ronnie Jay Oxendine, a North Carolina roofing contractor recently convicted on a firearm charge, told jurors, “I have to come to this court and tell the truth” as part of his plea deal. Shown the weapon, Oxendine said, “That used to be my rifle.”

Oxendine testified that in August 2024, intermediary Tina Cooper arranged a sale in the fenced parking lot of his office. 

FBI PHONE EXTRACTIONS, DNA TESTIMONY HEADLINE DAY 7 OF RYAN ROUTH TRIAL

“Ryan gave me $350 for the rifle and gave Tina $100,” he said. 

He added Routh worked the bolt, asked for ammunition and said he wanted the gun because his son “was being intimidated by his roommates.” Oxendine said Routh told him he “would remove the serial number… so it wouldn’t come back.”

He also told prosecutors he had roughly 300 firearms, denied ever removing a serial number himself, and admitted the FBI later charged him with possession of a sawed-off shotgun. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

During cross-examination, Routh began by telling Oxendine, “Great to see you again… I know you’re extremely mad at me,” before asking if the year he has already spent in custody could be applied to Oxendine’s sentence. Judge Aileen Cannon struck the comment from the record and warned Routh against further outbursts.

RYAN ROUTH TRIAL CONTINUES AFTER AGENT TESTIFIES SUSPECT AIMED RIFLE AT HIM ON TRUMP’S GOLF COURSE

Routh asked Oxendine about whether he knew him to be violent. 

“Have you ever known me to hurt anyone?” Routh asked. Oxendine replied, “I know you were loud.”

When asked if he knew Routh to be gentle, Oxendine said, “I don’t know you that well. I heard of you threatening people.”

The courtroom also heard from FBI Task Force Officer Patrick Lantry about surveillance at a South Bay, Florida truck stop, where investigators found orange earplugs and empty Vienna sausage cans.  

Routh’s questioning took a turn when he addressed the empty Vienna sausage cans on the ground around the truck stop. He said there were bugs and ants crawling around and then asked if it was possible food was left out to feed them.

Lantry replied that it was possible, and then Routh said it was a nice gesture but that whoever left the food did not clean up, and that he should have.

RYAN ROUTH TRIAL: JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASE

AT&T employee Aaron Thompson testified that Routh bought a prepaid line under the name “John White.” When Routh told him, “I don’t know how trustworthy you are,” Cannon struck it from the record.

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Prosecutors are expected to wrap up their case on Thursday. The defense has been told to have its witnesses ready on Friday. Routh has indicated he’ll call a firearms expert and character witnesses, but it’s still unclear if he’ll testify on his own behalf.

Fox News’ Samantha Daigle contributed to this report. 

FBI Director Kash Patel and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., sparred over Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case files, a topic raised repeatedly on Wednesday during a House Judiciary Committee hearing.

Swalwell, one of several Democrats to grill Patel over the Department of Justice’s handling of the files, demanded the director tell him about any mention of President Donald Trump in them. Patel was not receptive to Swalwell’s line of questioning, leading to a profanity-laced back-and-forth.

“Your fixation on this matter and baseless accusations that I’m hiding child pedophiles is disgusting,” Patel said.

DOJ BRASS VOWED FULL TRANSPARENCY ON EPSTEIN BEFORE TURNING UP EMPTY-HANDED

Swalwell zeroed in on Patel’s conversations with Attorney General Pam Bondi related to Trump after the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump, who was once friends with Epstein, was told by the DOJ that his name appeared in the files. Trump and several other high-profile figures, including former President Bill Clinton, ran in the same affluent social circle as Epstein but have never been charged over any wrongdoing.

“The attorney general and I have had numerous discussions about the entirety of the Epstein files,” Patel said.

Swalwell repeated the question several times, before enunciating each syllable.

“Why don’t you try spelling it out if you’re going to mock me. Use the alphabet. … No? A B C, D E F,” Patel shot back.

Unsatisfied, Swalwell said he would take Patel’s “evasiveness” as a “consciousness of guilt.” Swalwell also noted how the DOJ’s unsuccessful attempts to ask the courts to unseal grand jury transcripts in both Epstein’s and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s case were meaningless because the grand jury material contained no new non-public information and represented only a small fraction of the broader case files. 

HOUSE DEMOCRATS OPEN PROBE INTO FBI’S HANDLING OF EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS

“Director, you’ve played this cute shell game where you say you can’t release everything because the court has said that it legally is not allowed to be released, but the court calls bulls**t,” Swalwell said.

Swalwell has long stood out as a political rival of Trump’s after serving on the House Intelligence Committee and openly accusing Trump of colluding with Russia to influence the 2016 election, a claim that was never proven following multiple federal investigations. Patel was a top staffer for Republicans on the intel committee at the same time Swalwell served on it. 

In his 2023 book “Government Gangsters,” Patel named Swalwell as a “corrupt actor.” Swalwell signaled that Patel, a former MAGA firebrand, said in his book that dozens of Democrats and Republicans who fell out of favor with Trump were members of the so-called deep state. Swalwell asked Patel to recuse from investigating anyone in his book. Patel ultimately said he would not recuse himself, but not before a yelling match ensued.

“I’m going to borrow your terminology and call bullsh**t on your entire career in Congress,” Patel said. “It has been a disgrace to the American people,” he added as Swalwell shouted over him to reclaim his time and as other lawmakers called for order.

Swalwell was one of numerous Democrats to broach the Epstein files after the DOJ botched a rollout of them earlier this year and ultimately said it would not disclose any further nonpublic information. Patel had long said prior to becoming FBI director that the government was covering for sexual predators affiliated with Epstein.

Patel addressed the case in his opening statement, saying former U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta did not, in his view, seek enough information when Epstein was originally prosecuted. 

“The original sin on the Epstein case was how it was handled by Mr. Acosta when he first brought the case in 2006, seven and eight,” Patel said. “The original case had a very limited search warrant, had a very limited search window. … I would not have done it that way.”

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Epstein was later charged with trafficking underage women in 2019 and, according to authorities, died by suicide while awaiting trial.

At the close of the hearing, Democrats held a vote to subpoena four banks associated with Epstein, whose massive wealth remains a point of scrutiny. Republicans countered the effort by voting to table the motion.

Arizona may soon dedicate a highway to slain Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who lived and worked in the state.

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen is introducing legislation in the next session, starting in January, that would rename State Route 202 as the “Charlie Kirk Memorial Loop 202.”

“Wednesday, September 10, 2025, will forever be noted in history as a dark day where evil in its truest form was on full display,” Petersen said in a statement.

RED HATS AND CHANTS OF ‘USA’ MARK VIGIL HONORING SLAIN CONSERVATIVE LEADER CHARLIE KIRK: ‘ACT’

“Charlie Kirk was assassinated in cold blood by a cowardly terrorist and was targeted for his influence. But we must press forward. While Charlie Kirk cannot be replaced, this effort can make sure his legacy lives on,” he added.

Memorial highways are not a new concept in the Grand Canyon State, as the Loop 303 in western Maricopa County is named the Bob Stump Memorial Parkway, after the late congressman. The Loop 202 covers significant portions of the Phoenix area’s East Valley, including Chandler, Tempe and Mesa.

A section of the loop is named after late Democratic Rep. Ed Pastor, KJZZ reported in 2019. 

FROM GRIEF TO GROWTH: TURNING POINT USA BECOMES A RALLYING FORCE FOR GEN Z IN BATTLEGROUND ARIZONA

“We all have a role to play in carrying on Charlie’s legacy,” Petersen added. “Through God’s grace, by renaming this highway we can ensure that his name, his mission, and his witness to the gospel will endure for generations to come.”

Arizona has become a flashpoint following Charlie Kirk’s assassination last Wednesday at Utah Valley University, as the celebration of life service is slated for Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. 

TURNING POINT USA ANNOUNCES MASSIVE PUBLIC MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR CHARLIE KIRK AT ARIZONA FOOTBALL STADIUM

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the event, which will feature speakers such as his wife, Erika Kirk, as well as President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

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“The 202 is my home freeway that surrounds the entire east valley. Where I grew up, and where Turning Point had both of its first offices. So many of our activists that helped grow [TPUSA] call the east valley home. Thank you [Warren Petersen],” Tyler Bowyer, who leads Turning Point Action, posted to X.