'What a Disgrace': Kash Patel Branded An 'Unhinged Lunatic' As He's Grilled Over His Alleged 'Excessive Drinking'
Kash Patel got in a heated exchange over a report claiming he has a drinking problem.
May 12 2026, Published 6:20 p.m. ET
FBI director Kash Patel furiously defended himself over allegations he has a drinking problem during a fiery congressional hearing, causing some to brand him an "unhinged lunatic," RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The nation’s top cop, 46, fired back after Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen grilled him over a recent article claiming Patel has escalating issues with booze, dismissing the report as a “farce” in a heated exchange that quickly went viral.
Kash Patel Calls The Line of Questioning a 'Total Farce'
Senator Chris Van Hollen grilled Patel over reports he has a serious drinking problem.
Patel appeared before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee to defend his department’s 2027 budget request, but the hearing quickly devolved into lawmakers grilling the FBI chief over alleged escalating drinking habits cited in a bombshell report by The Atlantic.
The piece cited unnamed current and former FBI officials claiming Patel's level of boozing had become "a recurring source of concern across the government."
Van Hollen asked whether there were any occasions when Patel's security detail had "difficulty waking or locating you," hinting at accusations in the article that agents needed "SWAT-level breaching equipment" to reach their passed-out boss behind a locked door.
"It's a total farce. I don't even know where you get this stuff, but it doesn't make it credible because you say so," Patel fired back.
Van Hollen deflected by saying it was not him per se but "reports," which Patel slammed as "baseless."
Kash Patel Accuses Senator of 'Day Drinking'
Patel claimed Senator Van Hollen of 'drinking on the taxpayer's dime.'
Patel then dragged Van Hollen over his controversial trip to El Salvador, where the senator met with deported illegal immigrant and alleged MS-13 gang associate Kilmar Abrego Garcia in a bid to help bring him back to the United States.
"The only person slinging margaritas on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang-banging rapist was you," Patel retorted, while also accusing Van Hollen of racking up a $7,000 bar tab at a Washington, D.C. hotel.
He continued hammering away at the Maryland lawmaker, claiming, "The only individual in this room who has been drinking on the taxpayer's dime during the day is you."
The two kept talking over each other, with the senator saying he wanted answers to "serious allegations," while Patel blasted back, "I will not be tarnished by baseless allegations."
Kash Patel Agrees to Take Alcohol Disorders Test
The FBI reictor agreed to take an alcohol disorders test if Senator Van Hollen would do so as well.
Van Hollen asked Patel if he would be willing to take the Audit Test, standing for "Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test," which is given to active members of the military and others to determine if they have a drinking problem.
The FBI chief snarked back that he'd be "willing to take any test you're willing to take."
After some back-and-forth, Patel agreed he'd take the test "side by side" with Van Hollen.
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'Kash Patel Is an Unhinged Lunatic'
Patel was ripped for his behavior in the hearing.
"Holy sh--, Kash Patel is an unhinged LUNATIC in this hearing, check his alcohol levels now. Total car wreck. What a DISGRACE to the FBI," liberal social media influencer Majid M. Padellan wrote in the caption when posting a video of the exchange to X.
"Watching Kash Patel in this hearing feels like watching a guy argue with casino security at 3AM after four whiskeys and a Facebook conspiracy binge," a second user huffed.
A third person wrote, "His body language says it all!! That is a scary clip, to think that man is the head of the FBI, terrifies me!!"
"He’s a disgrace to the country," a fourth user fumed.
Patel was already the subject of drinking rumors in February after he was videotaped downing beers with the U.S. Men's Hockey Team following their Olympic gold win at the Milan Winter Games.
