Kash Patel doubled down on his approach to leading the FBI during a Senate oversight hearing Tuesday, at times clashing with Democrats as they sharply questioned him over whether career agency officials were fired out of political retribution.

In an hours-long oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democrats repeatedly castigated his performance as FBI director, arguing he has injected politics into the agency at the expense of public safety.

Democrats argued that under his leadership, the agency purged experienced career officials as alleged in a lawsuit, reportedly initiated loyalty tests and unwisely turned FBI resources toward immigration enforcement.

Throughout the hearing, Patel defended his track record, at times taking a defiant and combative posture. The hear

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