Adam Schiff's ‘dangerous and sycophant’ remark against Kash Patel fumes Elon Musk; ‘The worst criminal in…’

While Kash Patel finally took over as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Democratic Senator Adam Schiff was among many fierce critics who bashed the staunch Trump supporter, calling him a “political hack” and a “sycophant.”

The US Senate approved Kash Patel as FBI chief with a vote of 51-49, despite protests from Democrats and two moderate Republicans.

Instead of the Bible, Patel sworn-in as director of the FBI on the holy Hindu text known as the Bhagavad Gita. Alekins Wilkins, his girlfriend, his family members, and coworkers attended the event.

Before the Senate confirmation, Senator Schiff of California stated, “This is someone we cannot trust. This is someone who lacks the character to do this job. Someone who lacks the integrity to do this job. We know that, our Republican colleagues know that.”

“The only qualification Kash Patel has to be FBI director is that when everyone else in the first Trump administration said ‘no, I won’t do that. That crosses moral, ethical and legal lines’, Kash Patel said ‘sign me up,” he added.

“In the first Trump administration, as we are seeing in the second, you rise to the level of your sycophancy, and no one is a bigger or more dangerous sycophant than Kash Patel. This political hack does not deserve to be in this building. He can’t do the job.”

Adam Shiff garners backlash from Patel, Musk

Following Shiff's harsh criticism of Patel, several people on X have speculated that he may be named in the list of FBI's head “enemies” who were mentioned in his 2023 book Government Gangsters.

Patel responded outspokenly to Schiff's remarks. “Adam Schiff is the worst criminal in Congress in the last 250 years,” he declared. “Schiff led the prosecution of the impeachment trial in the Senate of President Donald Trump.” He also sought a probe into Schiff’s role for communicating with a whistleblower to launch a presidential impeachment.

Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk repeated Patel's assertion, saying on X:  “Adam Schiff is a criminal.”

Also Read: Donald Trump's flight nightmare revealed; ‘I’m going to die on Jeffrey Epstein’s plane’

A look at Adam Schiff's career

Born in Framingham, Massachusetts, Schiff attended Stanford University and later graduated from Harvard Law School with a law degree.

After working as a law clerk for Judge William Matthew Byrne, Jr.in New York, he became a federal prosecutor at the US Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

He prosecuted first FBI agent Richard Miller, who was charged with Russian spying, during his six-year term. Schiff, who is now 64, was elected as the youngest member of the California State Senate in 1996. He proposed The Schiff-Cardenas Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act of 2000, during his term. The act provided funding for initiatives aimed at preventing juvenile offenders from going to jail.

The Metro Gold Line's expansion initiatives earned him the moniker “Father of the Gold Line.”

He made his way to the US House of Representatives in 2000, serving on important committees such as Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Judiciary.

He was a strong opponent of Russian election meddling and spearheaded the first impeachment investigation against Trump.

Following Ukraine invasion, he also advocated for sanctions against Russia. He was chosen to represent California in the US Senate in 2024.