Tensions are running high between Representative Adam Schiff and FBI Director Kash Patel, following Patel’s fiery remarks labeling Schiff “the most egregious criminal in Congress” over the past two and a half centuries. Patel pointed directly at Schiff’s central role in the first impeachment of President Donald Trump and accused him of misleading the public.
Schiff, who led the House impeachment proceedings in 2019, has long been criticized by Republicans for allegedly twisting facts related to Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s president and for backing the now-debunked Trump-Russia collusion narrative. With Trump back in office, GOP leaders are again calling for an investigation into Schiff’s actions.
Speaking in a recent interview, Patel didn’t hold back. “Day after day, Schiff stood up at the podium acting like he didn’t know anything, pretending things were under wraps,” Patel said. “Then he turned around and led the entire impeachment effort. It was a setup.”
Patel went further, accusing Schiff of having a personal connection to whistleblower Eric Ciarmella, claiming that Schiff helped create and spread false claims about Trump. “He lied about everything—from his connection to Ciarmella to the very foundation of the impeachment case,” Patel said. “It was a deliberate campaign of misinformation.”
Patel believes Schiff’s conduct warrants a full investigation, saying, “The American people deserve the truth. Schiff misled the world to help launch an impeachment. That should not go unexamined.”
Schiff responded emotionally during a February 20 appearance on MSNBC, warning of what he sees as dangerous times under Trump’s leadership. “I can’t imagine a Democratic president keeping someone like Kash Patel around,” Schiff said. “But then again, I never thought we’d be in this situation to begin with.”
He continued, “We’re already in a constitutional crisis—and it’s only going to get worse if they start ignoring the courts. Trump has turned Patel into his personal enforcer, and now we’ve got people like Pam Bondi in high office, who deny election results.”
Online reactions to Schiff’s comments were swift and harsh. “He’s panicking,” one user wrote. Another joked, “So a constitutional crisis is when a president legally appoints his cabinet? Got it.”
As the war of words continues, it’s clear that the battle between Schiff and Patel is only heating up—with much more likely to come.