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Hawaii’s Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono with FBI Director Kash Patel At a hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, questions were raised about agency firing and counter-terrorism priorities, and even said the bureau was “harsh” on applicants’ physical health requirements.
Patel said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Numbers: “Americans expect them to be FBI agents Be capable, resilient and ready to protect them.
“That’s why under my watch, every field office receives more trained agents, more boots, and re-promising to step out from behind the desk and back on the street where we need it most, we’re rebuilding an agency that wins public confidence by attending, getting ready and getting ready for work.”
The most harmful conflict is when Hirono presses Patel by fitness standards.
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FBI Director Kash Patel defended the bureau’s claim against Democratic Senator Hirono that Tuesday’s pull-up was “harsh”. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“One of the problems I have is that you now require applicants to be able to get up in some sort of way, which many women cannot do due to physiological differences. Hirono asked.
Patel did not give in.
“We ask everyone to pass the BFTC’s 1811 standard. If you want to chase a bad guy, sorry, put him in handcuffs, it’s better to be able to pull up.”
Hirono replied: “People are worried about whether they can do such irritating pull-ups.
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Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono asserted that the “physiological differences” between men and women make the FBI’s physical health standards, including pull-ups, “harsh.” (Getty Image)
Patel interjected: “It’s not harsh to do a pull-up, and there’s always a medical exemption.”
according to FBI recruitment website“Starting November 2025, pull-ups are a necessary activity for all candidates.” For male recruits, along with the traditional body fitness test (PFT), there are now 2-3 pull-ups. For female candidates, a pull-up is the minimum required.
Any additional pull-up value is counted to the recruits’ total PFT score, with 20 or more pull-ups having a peak of 10.
The official White House account @rapidResponse47 shared the exchange in the current virus clip on X.
On September 16, 2025, FBI Director Kash Patel shook hands with Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Apart from fitness standards, Hirono accuses Patel of being loyal to Trump, not the FBI.
“Your most important qualification…is your 100% loyalty President Trump. I’m worried that this is still an incentive to your position as a director of the FBI. ”
Patel rejected the claim.
“It’s a whole false. You can delete the 16 years of government service I have provided to multiple executives. … There was no loyalty at that time. There is no loyalty now. In addition to the Constitution. ”
Patel also used the hearing to share the victory of the inning under his leadership. He noted that there were 409 cyber arrests and 169 convictions this year, a 42% increase from the same period last year.
He also said the FBI’s reallocation is part of a “surge in resources” to combat violent crime. Regarding the allegations of redistribution, Patel said: “They have never left the main job. This is a big interest in law enforcement with the law agency to fight violent crime and reduce historical crime.”
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The FBI and Senator Mazie Hirono’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
