Cory Booker Nails Kash Patel For Not Protecting Kids

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) asked FBI Director Patel if he reassigned FBI agents from stopping predators to immigration. Director Patel's answer was to evade.

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The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with FBI Director Kash Patel was explosive, with tempers boiling over.

One of the key moments of the hearing came when Patel was being questioned by Sen. Cory Booker, who asked:

 You've shifted the agency's priorities primarily to pursuing Donald Trump's immigration enforcement agenda. According to ICE Data, the Cato Institute, which is a conservative think tank, found that 25% and 20% of all agents have been diverted from their work to assist ICE immigration enforcement. 20%. Part of this operation is the work of mass law enforcement who jump out of cars, snatch people off streets at churches, schools, and their jobs and hospitals.

Have there been any FBI agents who investigate crimes against children that have been assigned to immigration enforcement? Yes or no?

Patel answered, “The premise of what you say is entirely false.“

Booker asked, “Have there been any FBI agents reassigned who investigate foreign domestic terrorists?”

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Patel got outraged, but didn’t answer the question.

Booker responded, “You are not denying that FBI agents who are on the task force that fight against Russian oligarchs have not been reassigned. Public correction squad reassigned. People who defend us again, defend children reassigned. You're not denying that I've seen time and time that you attack my colleagues’ premises of questions as a way to not answer the questions.”

Booker closed by saying that he didn’t think Patel was long for the job of being FBI director, and that Trump would soon cut him loose.

Patel accused Booker of dividing America, and the exchange closed with angry Booker telling Patel that he was afraid of him. At the same time, the FBI Director protested that he wasn’t going anywhere.

The reality is that Patel offered up denials, but he didn’t really answer the question regarding FBI agents who are supposed to be protecting children being moved to immigration enforcement.

All Patel would say is that FBI agents aren’t reassigned, which might be technically true, but the mission that agents are working on can be changed to fit the administration’s agenda.

Weakness in stopping child predators is important when the Epstein scandal hangs over the executive branch every second of this presidency.

Director Patel never discussed what steps the FBI has taken under his leadership to protect children.

Cory Booker was the one to finally ask if the Trump administration is making children less safe by focusing federal resources on immigration.

Director Patel’s answer was telling for what it didn’t say about protecting kids.

What do you think about Booker confronting Patel? Discuss it in the comments below.