Overview

• Senators grilled Patel over his early social media post wrongly suggesting a suspect was in custody in the Charlie Kirk case, which he said could have been worded more carefully but was not a mistake.
• Utah prosecutors charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson roughly 33 hours after the shooting and said they will seek the death penalty in the Kirk killing.
• On the Epstein files, Patel cited the 2008 plea agreement and court protective orders as barriers to broader disclosure and said he has seen no credible evidence Epstein trafficked victims to others.
• Democrats pressed Patel about the summary dismissal of veteran FBI officials and a lawsuit alleging political retribution, which he denied, saying personnel decisions were based on performance.
• Republicans praised the FBI for helping identify and capture the Kirk suspect, and Patel is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee next.