The director of the FBI Patel defends fitness standards in the animated audience of the Senate

The Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii clashed with the director of the FBI Kash Patel during a stormy hearing of the judicial committee of the Senate on Tuesday, questioning the priorities of dismissal and the fight against terrorism and even to call the requirements of the physical condition of the “hard” office for the candidates.

In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, Patel said: “Americans expect their FBI agents to be capable, resilient and ready to protect them.

“This is why, under my watch, each campaign office receives more trained agents, more boots in the field and a renewed commitment to get out from behind the offices and return to the streets where they need it. We rebuild an office that wins the public’s confidence by being present, prepared and physically ready to do the work.”

The most viral confrontation came when Hirono has pressed a fitness standards.

The FBI “ most transparent ” of all time: Patel updates the Senate on the Kirk assassination probe

FBI director Kash Patel defended the office’s physical fitness standards against the assertion of the Democratic Senator Hirono according to which the tractions were “hard” on Tuesday. (SOMODEVILLA / GETTY Images)

“One question I had is that you now force the candidates to be able to make a certain type of pull-ups, which many women cannot because of physiological differences. Do you need these types of pull-ups?” Hirono asked.

Patel did not move.

“We demand that everyone will pass the standards from 1811 to BFTC. If you want to hunt a bad guy, excuse me and put it handcuffed, you would better traction.”

Hirono replied: “There are concerns about the possibility of doing these kinds of hard pull -ups is really required by FBI agents.”

The FBI management of Kash Patel under surveillance before the Senate judicial surveillance hearing

Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono said that “physiological differences” between men and women made standards for physical fitness of the FBI, including “Harsh”. (Getty Images)

Patel intervenes, “making a draw is not hard, and there are always medical exemptions for that.”

According to the FBI recruitment website“From November 2025, pull -ups will be an event required for all candidates.” For male recruits, 2-3 pull-ups are now a minimum required alongside the traditional physical fitness test (PFT). For candidates, a traction is the minimum required.

All additional pull -ups rely on the global PFT score of a recruit, with the maximum of points received for 20 or more capped pull -ups at 10.

The Official X Account of the White House, @ Rapidresse47, shared the exchange in a now viral clip on X.

The director of the FBI, Kash Patel, clashes the hands of the republican senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa during a judicial hearing of the Senate on September 16, 2025. (Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, included via Getty Images)

Beyond fitness standards, Hirono accused the Patel of being faithful to Trump rather than the FBI.

“Your most important qualification … was your 100% loyalty to President Trump. And I fear that it continues to be the motivation factor for your position as Director of the FBI.”

Patel rejected this complaint.

“It is a whole lie. You can delete my 16 years of government service with several administrations everything you want. … There was no loyalty then. There is no more loyalty to something other than the Constitution.”

Patel also used the audience to share the victories of the office under his direction. He underlined 409 cyber arrests this year and 169 convictions, an increase of 42% compared to the same era last year.

He also said that FBI’s reallocations were part of an “increase in resources” to combat violent crimes. On the accusations of reallocations, Patel said: “They have never left their main work. This is an increase in the resources of the police working with intention to fight against violent crimes and reduce crime in historical proportions.”

Click here to obtain the Fox News app

The FBI and the Senator Mazie Hirono office did not immediately respond to the request for comments from Fox News Digital.