MUST WATCH: Kash Patel Gloriously OWNS Chris Van Hollen After His Questioning Backfires

There are only two reasons why I even know who Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is. 

The first is that ridiculous trip he made to El Salvador to have margaritas with MS-13 gang banger Kilmar Abrego Garcia. 

The second is that every time he's a part of a Senate hearing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he says something stupid and Rubio completely owns him.  

Remember this? 

Sen. Van Hollen: "I have to tell you directly and personally that I regret voting for you as Secretary of State." @SecRubio: "Your regret voting for me confirms I’m doing a good job."

MIC. DROP. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZH0IAwgIYz

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 20, 2025

Or this? 

Things get HEATED when @SecRubio is allowed to respond to Sen. Van Hollen's absurd 7-minute attack of the work he's done as Secretary of Sate 👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/wyc8y4oppm

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 20, 2025

Well, on Tuesday, it was FBI Director Kash Patel's turn. During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Van Hollen, who never has anything of substance to say, resorted to bringing up tabloid rumors from The Atlantic about Patel's "excessive drinking." Here's what he said: 

Multiple reports, including reporting by The Atlantic, have alleged episodes of excessive drinking, unexplained absences, and behavior that concern current and former FBI and DOJ officials. You have publicly denied those allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit. So today, as you testify before Congress, is it your testimony that those allegations are categorically false?

(I'm not sure what that has to do with Donald Trump’s FY2027 budget requests for the FBI, which is what this hearing was about, but no one asked me.)

"Unequivocally, categorically false," Patel replied. 

"So there have been no occasions during your tenure when FBI personnel were unable to promptly reach you?" Van Hollen asked. 

Patel responded: "Absolutely not. You can ask my entire workforce. They hear from me at every single hour of the day, as do these great gentlemen here, as do the men and women of the interagency and state and local law enforcement and the White House."

"And so there have been no occasions when your security detail had difficulty waking or locating you, is that right?" Van Hollen asked again, unhappy he didn't get the answer he wanted. 

Patel wasn't taking the bait: "Nope. 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." 

Here's where it gets good. 

"I'm not saying it, uh, Director Patel. I, I... It's been written and documented, and I..." Van Hollen began sputtering. 

"You are literally saying it," Patel replied without missing a beat. 

After a bit of back-and-forth, the FBI director turned the tables.  

"... the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang-banging rapist was you," he said, adding, "The only person that ran up a $7,000 bar tab in Washington, D.C. at the Lobby Bar was you. So the only individual in this room that has been drinking on taxpayer dime during the day is you." 

"Are you polygraphing? Director Patel, come on. These are serious allegations that were made against you," Van Hollen replied, ignoring all of that. 

But Patel didn't let up. "The allegations are false," he said. "You drinking margaritas with a gang banger is true and on video. You running a $7,000 bar tab at the Lobby Bar has been filed by your own office. To drink during the day, that's you."  

You just have to watch it for yourself. It's too good: 

NEW: Senator Chris Van Hollen's questioning of FBI Director Kash Patel completely backfires after he asked Patel about allegations of his drinking habits.

Van Hollen: "Multiple reports have alleged episodes of excessive drinking..."

Patel: "The only person that was slinging… pic.twitter.com/a0Wl2ODwRj

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 12, 2026

Van Hollen then asked Patel if he's willing to take a test to determine if he's got a drinking problem. Patel told him he'll take any tests he's willing to take. Van Hollen seemed caught off guard by that response. 

This is NOT the answer Sen. Chris Van Hollen was expecting from FBI Director Kash Patel:pic.twitter.com/zPzROFI4ej
HOLLEN: Will you take the test to determine if you have a drinking problem?

PATEL: I'll take any test you're willing to take.

HOLLEN: I'll take it!

PATEL: Let's go,…

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 12, 2026

I don't have much more to add. I'm sure we have some Maryland residents in our readership — maybe you can explain to me why this guy is your senator. He doesn't even seem to have an actual agenda beside insulting people. What a waste of space.