Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said Tuesday that FBI Director Kash Patel has been "more than willing" to use the agency to investigate President Donald Trump's personal grievances over his past election losses.
"My concern is that this means what you are willing to do for the president in this year's midterm elections that the president is already saying are going to be rigged if he loses," the senator said in an oversight hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Welch asked if Patel agrees with the president's remark in this year's State of the Union address that Democrats must cheat to win elections.
"Based upon the Russiagate hoax and everything else that's happened, the president is completely justified in making his opinions known, as does any president before him," Patel said.
The interaction further devolved after Welch asked about deploying FBI agents to polling places. After Patel accused Welch of lying about FBI agents, the senator asked whether the director would pledge to "not in any way interfere in the will of the American people when they go to the polls in November."
"I have pledged unequivocally that I will not participate in your charade of lies," Patel said.
Patel testified Tuesday in an oversight hearing on the nation's lead law enforcement agency.