WATCH: Sen. Booker tells Patel ‘you’re not going to be around long’ as FBI director

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said Kash Patel’s actions so far as FBI director have “made our country weaker and less safe.”

The Democratic senator cited Patel’s recent firings of several veteran FBI officials, eroding the agency’s institutional knowledge and expertise, his “withholding” of files into the Jeffrey Epstein case, and his social media post that said a subject was in custody in the Charlie Kirk shooting when the suspect was still at large at that point.

“I believe you're failing as a leader,” Booker said, “and that your failure does have serious implications for the safety and security of Americans and our families.”

Booker then told Patel that he’s not fit to lead the bureau.

“I think you're not going to be around long,” Booker said. “I think this might be your last oversight hearing because as much as you supplicate yourself to the will of Donald Trump and not the Constitution of the United States of America, Donald Trump has shown us in his first term and in this term, he is not loyal to people like you. He will cut you loose.”

Patel responded to Booker: “That rant of false information does not bring this country together.”

Patel has been under fire in recent days for the social media posts he made about the Kirk shooting investigation and for dining out at an upscale Manhattan restaurant hours after the conservative activist was killed.

Last week, three former high-ranking FBI officials sued Patel, alleging they were fired in August as part of a “campaign of retribution” and that the director knew it was “likely illegal” to remove workers based on the cases they investigated.

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