Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Democratic members of Congress blasted Kash Patel as a “national security threat” after a bombshell report from The Atlantic detailed the FBI director’s alleged “erratic” behavior.
On Monday, AOC, in addition to many of her peers, spoke out against the Trump loyalist and suggested Patel was unfit for his role as head of the FBI. Specifically, when asked point-blank if she felt Patel was a “national security threat,” she responded bluntly, “absolutely.”
“I mean, I think we saw after the men’s Olympic hockey championships, the fact that this is a guy who is hurling bottles in his face, up in the air,” she said. “It’s not just embarrassing, it’s a person who’s easily manipulated.”
The congresswoman from New York added: “If he’s conducting himself in this compromised way in public — especially in a position like the FBI — when you are acting crazy, you are creating opportunities for blackmail.” Watch her comments below.
AOC tells PabloReports that Kash Patel’s behavior is not only embarrassing but could also leave him vulnerable to blackmail from malign actors.
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 20, 2026
PabloReports: Is Kash Patel’s sobriety, or lack thereof, a national security threat?
AOC: Absolutely. After the men’s Olympic hockey… pic.twitter.com/US2LhaZ6VZ
Of course, AOC wasn’t alone in her stance, as Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) also sounded off on Patel following the article.
“We had the Brown University shooting a while back,” the congressman told a MeidasTouch reporter in Washington, D.C. on Monday. “When that manhunt was going on for the shooter, Kash Patel tweeted that they got the guy when it was the wrong guy. And he did the same thing after the Charlie Kirk shooting. And that is so dangerous, right? Because if there is a shooter at large … and you have the director of the FBI saying ‘we got him’ when they didn’t, that puts people’s lives in danger. I don’t know if he was drunk when he did those things or not, but I do know that he is unfit for the job.”
Magaziner: We had the Brown University shooting a while back. When that manhunt was going on, Kash Patel tweeted that they got the guy when it was the wrong guy.
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 20, 2026
If there is a suspect at large and you have the director of the FBI saying “we got him” when they didn’t, that puts… pic.twitter.com/MkVi4eQOTn
Meanwhile, Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) stated he had “significant concerns about Kash Patel being able to perform his functions,” citing the growing “liquor cabinet” memes tied to Patel and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as a reason.
PabloReports: Has Kash Patel’s drinking become a national security threat?
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 20, 2026
Vindman: When the memes and the joke are that Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel are part of the “liquor cabinet,” the answer is yes. He’s supposed to be safeguarding the U.S. I have significant concerns about… pic.twitter.com/Aml5FeqlWC
Though, Vindman’s peer from Virginia, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, noted that Patel’s “incompetence” is “more of a national security issue than anything.”
He added: “I think his drinking is just the cherry on the top.”
PabloReports: Is Kash Patel’s drinking a national security issue?
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 20, 2026
Subramanyam: I think his incompetence is a national security issue. pic.twitter.com/UCCCiPZPIh
While Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D- Wash.) suggested Patel’s alleged drinking “seem[ed] to be a not very well-kept secret,” Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D- Pa.) noted that in any other administration “the president would demand a resignation or start an investigation.”
She added: “We would like to have someone competent … for a change.”
PabloReports: Is Kash Patel’s sobriety, or lack thereof, a national security threat?
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 20, 2026
Scanlon: In a normal administration, the president would demand a resignation. We would like to have someone competent for a change. pic.twitter.com/nInIm8Ci3o
Though, not everyone was jumping on the Patel criticism train, as Rep. Richard Dean McCormick (R- Ga.) defended what the FBI director did in his spare time was his business.
“I’ve seen plenty of guys drink and have fun,” the congressman told reporters. “When they are on their spare time, that’s their business. I bet you there are a lot of Americans out there who take offense to that. Does that mean I can’t go party with my friends and then go do my job during the week? I don’t think that’s fair.”
McCormick on Kash Patel: I’ve seen plenty of guys drink and have fun. When they are on their spare time, that’s their business. I bet you there are a lot of Americans out there who take offense to that. Does that mean I can’t go party with my friends and then go do my job during… pic.twitter.com/6ihgT2ooLt
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 20, 2026
Patel sued The Atlantic on Monday for $250 million over their recent report, in which he was described as “erratic, suspicious of others, and prone to jumping to conclusions before he has necessary evidence,” per journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick’s “two dozen” sources.
While Patel slammed the piece as “fake news” and “false reporting,” Fitzpatrick defended on MS NOW Friday: “I am a very careful, very diligent, award-winning investigative reporter with a history of award-winning work across multiple organizations. I stand by every word of this reporting. We have excellent attorneys.”
