FBI Director Kash Patel’s testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday was testy at times, as topics of the Charlie Kirk assassination, the Jeffrey Epstein case, and other matters came up. 

The fireworks came primarily when the director sparred with Democrat senators. 

Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, also made a major announcement.

Here are five key moments from the hearing. 

1. Charlie Kirk Assassination

Potentially, more than 20 people were aware that the suspect in the Sept. 10 killing of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk had talked about doing so, Patel told the committee. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., asked about reports that the FBI is investigating a broader network of groups who may have had some foreknowledge of the shooter’s plan to kill Kirk. 

Patel said a key focus is on the video gamers chatroom called Discord. 

“Unfortunately, it was leaked that there was a Discord chat,” he said, adding, “We are also going to be investigating anyone and everyone in that Discord chat.” 

Hawley followed, “I see in public reports the Discord chat had as many as 20 users.”

Patel jumped in to say, “It’s a lot more than that, and we are running them all down.”  

Earlier in the hearing, Patel said the FBI got more than 11,000 tips in the first 24 hours alone after Kirk’s shooting. 

2. ‘Central Question’ on Jeffrey Epstein

The FBI director also fielded questions from several senators about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose death in federal prison was ruled a suicide. 

Patel said during the hearing that Epstein was never an informant for the FBI. 

“You’ve seen most of the files. Who, if anyone, did Epstein traffic these young women to besides himself?” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asked.

Patel replied, “Himself. There is no credible information, none—if there was, I would bring the case yesterday—that he trafficked to other individuals. The information that we have again is limited.”

Kennedy followed with, “So, the answer is no one?”

“For the information that we have in the case file,” Patel answered. 

The Justice Department is gradually releasing Epstein documents to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. 

“This issue is not going to go away,” Kennedy said. “And I think that the central question for the American people is this: They know that Epstein trafficked young women for sex to himself. They want to know who, if anyone, else he trafficked these young women to. And that is a very fair question, and I think you’re going to have to do more to satisfy the American people’s understandable curiosity.”

3. ‘Operation Arctic Frost’

Grassley announced at the top of the hearing that he and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released additional information Tuesday on the FBI’s “Operation Arctic Frost.” 

During the Biden administration, the Arctic Frost probe targeted 92 Republican-leaning groups and individuals, including the Kirk-founded Turning Point USA, for investigations, according to FBI whistleblowers who informed the senators about it earlier this year. 

“It was the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and Department of Justice prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends and improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus,” Grassley said during opening remarks.

“The documents show your scope expanded to 92 Republican organizations. From evidence that I’ve seen, most appear to be like another political job,” he said to Patel. He later added, “On that political list was one of Charlie Kirk‘s groups, Turning Point USA. In other words, Arctic Frost wasn‘t just a case to politically investigate [President Donald] Trump.” 

The Arctic Frost investigation formed the basis of special counsel Jack Smith’s probe of Trump for challenging the outcome of the 2020 election. 

In April, Grassley and Johnson revealed emails that showed the Biden White House assisted the FBI in securing the government cellphones of Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence before Trump was formally added as a subject of the investigation.

4. Adam Schiff ‘Political Buffoon’

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., engaged in a fiery confrontation with Patel when he asked about the Epstein case and interrupted Patel’s attempts to answer questions. 

Patel reminded the panel that it was Schiff who propagated the debunked theory that Trump had conspired with the Russian government to win the 2016 election. 

“You have disgraced this institution and are an utter coward,” Patel said. 

Schiff said, “I’m not surprised.” 

Patel responded, “I’m not surprised you continue to lie from your perch and put on a show so you can go raise money for your charade. You are a political buffoon at best.” 

Schiff said, “You can make an Internet troll the FBI director, but you are nothing more than an Internet troll.” 

Patel again addressed the Epstein case. 

“All you care about is a child sex predator that was prosecuted by a prior administration, and the Obama Justice Department and the Biden Justice Department did squat,” Patel said. “What did President Trump do? Bring new charges courageously. I challenge you to say anything credible that’s the truth.” 

5. ‘You’re Not Going to Be Around Long’

Sen Cory Booker, D-N.J., told Patel that Trump would likely fire him. 

“I think you’re not going to be around long. I think this might be your last Oversight hearing,” Booker said, then added, “Donald Trump has shown us in his first term and this term he is not loyal to people like you. He will cut you loose.”

The two argued, and Patel reminded Booker his time for questions had expired, and asked to answer Booker’s question.   

“It is my time to address your falsehoods,” he said. 

Grassley banged gavel to get order as Booker and Patel shouted at each other.

Booker shouted, “You don’t tell me my time is over. The people of New Jersey tell me my time is over.”

“You can tell me my time is over,” Patel said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

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