Amna Nawaz
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WATCH: Sen. Van Hollen, Patel clash over allegations of excessive drinking by FBI director
Posted
May 12, 2026
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May 12, 2026
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3:19Now PlayingFBI Director Kash Patel and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., sparred over recent reporting from The Atlantic alleging excessive drinking by Patel.
In April, The Atlantic reported that Patel had been seen drinking heavily, and that on multiple occasions his security team had difficulty waking him up. In response, Patel filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine.
Patel told Van Hollen on Tuesday during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing that The Atlantic’s allegations were “unequivocally, categorically false.” He added that they aren’t “credible because you say so.”
Patel then attacked Van Hollen, saying, “the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang banging rapist was you.”
In 2025, Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national and long-time Maryland resident, who was mistakenly deported by the Trump administration.
Van Hollen and Abrego Garcia were photographed at a table with sugar-rimmed drinks. Van Hollen said Salvadoran government officials put the margarita-looking drinks on the table and that he and Abrego Garcia only drank water.
“That’s a false statement. I'm asking you about your statements, and I'm asking you about a particular report,” Van Hollen said. “Are you willing to take the test? It's called the audit test that members of our active duty military and others take to determine whether they have a drinking problem.”
Patel said, “I'll take any test you're willing to take.”
Van Hollen agreed to take the test.
“Let’s go. Side by side,” Patel said.
On Tuesday, Patel appeared before Senate lawmakers alongside the heads of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marshals Service to testify about their agencies' 2027 funding requests.
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