Former Trump administration official and nominee for FBI director Kash Patel faced off with Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) in a contentious Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday.

The hearing quickly became combative as Schiff pressed Patel over his alleged involvement in a song recorded by January 6 inmates that features former President Donald Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

The song in question, Justice for All, includes Trump’s voice alongside the J6 Prison Choir singing the national anthem. Schiff repeatedly attempted to tie Patel directly to the recording, but Patel remained firm in his denial.

Schiff opened his questioning by revisiting Patel’s previous testimony, in which he denied playing any role in the production of the song. “I did not have anything to do with the recording. I did not have anything to do with the recording. Do you stand by that testimony, Mr. Patel?” Schiff asked.

Patel responded directly: “Senator, what I said was I didn’t do the recording.”

Schiff then attempted to contradict Patel by playing a clip from his appearance on Steve Bannon’s podcast, where Patel had discussed the song’s production.

Schiff pressed, “If you had nothing to do with it, Mr. Patel, why did you tell Steve Bannon and all his listeners that you did?”

Patel remained composed, pointing to the language he used in the clip. “That’s why it says ‘we’ as you highlighted.”

Schiff seized on the phrasing, asking, “Yeah, and you’re part of the ‘we,’ right? When you say ‘we,’ that includes you, doesn’t it, Mr. Patel?”

“Not in every instance,” Patel replied.

Schiff appeared frustrated and pressed further. “Well, that’s new. So when you said ‘we,’ you didn’t really mean you. Is that your testimony?”

Patel pushed back. “Not unless you have a new definition for the word ‘we.’”

The back-and-forth continued as Schiff accused Patel of actively promoting the song, which climbed to the top of the Billboard charts. Schiff also questioned whether Patel had vetted the individuals involved before supporting the project.

Patel reiterated that his focus had been on raising funds for families in need and reaffirmed that he had no role in recording the song.

Later in the hearing, Schiff turned to Patel’s association with the song’s contributors, specifically questioning his support for individuals convicted in connection with the January 6 riot.

Schiff pointed to the presence of Capitol Police officers in the room, demanding that Patel acknowledge them and justify his stance.

Patel rejected Schiff’s characterization, stating that he has been a lifelong supporter of law enforcement and did not profit from the song.

Despite Schiff’s aggressive line of questioning, Patel did not waver.

As the hearing concluded, the committee chair entered letters into the record from law enforcement organizations representing over 300,000 officers, showing strong support for Patel’s nomination.

How you (Adam Schiff) react when the guy you were illegally spying on is about to become Director of the FBI… pic.twitter.com/V3Bbeg1yW9

— Farm Girl Carrie ‍ (@FarmGirlCarrie) January 31, 2025

During his testimony, Patel also placed blame for the security failures on January 6 on then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

As the former chief of staff at the Department of Defense, Patel asserted that the DOD had prepared National Guard troops in advance, but additional requests for support were denied by Pelosi and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Patel’s nomination remains under review as the Senate Judiciary Committee considers his confirmation.

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