Less than two hours after starting, Kash Patel’s Senate confirmation hearing skewed off the rails, with Republicans and Democrats both shouting down Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

MORE: Kash Patel, Trump's controversial pick for FBI director, set to face Senate grilling Among his supporters, Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has called Patel's career "a study in fighting for unpopular but righteous causes,

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said that since much of Kash Patel’s confirmation hearing so far has focused on President Donald Trump’s clemency grants to people convicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, “it’s important that we remind people at the same time of some pardons by the previous administration.”

During the tense Senate confirmation hearing, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., grilled Kash Patel over his past controversial statements about the FBI. Klobuchar pressed for more time, clashing with Sen.

On this, Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, falls short. While some senators may disagree about whether Patel has sufficient experience to manage the Bureau’s 38,000 employees, his lack of independence is disqualifying.