Administration

Van Hollen says he’s unsure Patel will take alcohol use test after heated hearing

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by Tara Suter - 05/17/26 3:34 PM ET

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by Tara Suter - 05/17/26 3:34 PM ET

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Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said Sunday that he was unsure that FBI Director Kash Patel will take an alcohol use test after a heated hearing in which the senator pressed Patel on his drinking.

“Well, senator, you took the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. You challenged Director Patel to do the same. Do you have any indication that he’s actually going to take that test? Or do you think that that was a challenge that, to some extent, you did just to prove a point?” NBC News’s Kristen Welker asked Van Hollen on “Meet the Press.”

“Well, he said in public testimony that he would do it. He’s also under oath automatically in the sense that lying to Congress is a crime. So, he said he’s going to do it,” Van Hollen responded.

“My sense from Patel’s conduct overall is he may or may not do it, but I, unfortunately won’t be able to believe the results, because in that hearing, he did lie several times.”

Last Wednesday, Van Hollen shared the results of a test to assess alcohol disorders after Patel said to the senator that he would also go through the test if he and Van Hollen did them “side by side.”

Democrats have pushed for the FBI director to take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) following The Atlantic’s reporting that Patel was drinking excessively and at times was hard to contact.

“Yesterday, @FBIDirectorKash told me he’d take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test if I did. Well, here’s mine,” Van Hollen said on social media, showing the results of the survey.

“Given all the lies he told yesterday, I imagine he’ll fudge the numbers here, but let’s see yours, Director Patel.”

Patel said he would commit to taking the AUDIT test for his alcohol use after a fiery Tuesday exchange with the Maryland senator.

“When your private actions make it impossible for you to perform your public duties, we have a big problem. You cannot perform those public duties if you’re incapacitated,” Van Hollen said to Patel during a hearing.

“And Director Patel, these reports about your conduct, including reports of your being so drunk and hungover that your staff had to force entry into your home, are extremely alarming. If true, they demonstrate a gross dereliction of your duty and a betrayal of public trust,” Van Hollen continued.

The Hill has reached out to the FBI for comment.

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