Wednesday, May 13, 2026

The Snapshot

Wednesday, May 13, 2026.  Chump gets a chilly reception in China, while Americans are concerned about the rising costs Chump explains that the costs to the American consumers are not part of his focus, turns out that he's also been lying about Iran's military capabilities, he's killed the tourism and hospitality industries in the US, House Oversight Committee Dems hold a hearing in Florida to hear from Epstein survivors, Senator Patty Murray has to explain to Ka$h Patel what his job duties are and suggest that he might want to step down as FBI director and return to podcasting, and much more. 




At MEIDASTOUCH NEWS, Ben reports on Donald Chump underwhelming China with his visit.

And in the US?  Americans have other things on their mind, things to be concerned about.  Nia Prater (INTELLIGENCER) reports:

Americans have made it clear for months in survey data that they are struggling with the cost of groceries, housing, and pretty much everything else. President Donald Trump’s war with Iran continues to make those problems worse in very visible ways.
According to new figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday, the Consumer Price Index rose by 3.8 percent in April, compared to a year prior, with prices rising by 0.6 percent from just March alone. Per CNBC, this marks the highest rate since May 2023, when Joe Biden was contending with the inflation that irreversibly damaged his presidency. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, the Labor Department also reported that the core CPI rose 0.4 percent from last month and 2.8 percent over the course of the year.
The new federal data also noted a rise in typical expenses for the American consumer. In April, energy prices increased by 3.8 percent from the previous month. The cost of groceries is up 0.7 percent from March and by 2.9 percent since last year, likely bolstered by the price of beef, which rose by 2.7 percent over the month. Airline fares also saw a jump in costs, rising by 2.8 percent in April. The rising price of gas is likely bleeding into the higher prices shoppers are seeing at the grocery store because of impacts on the supply chain, as The Wall Street Journal noted in a recent report.
Gasoline prices started to spike after the United States launched joint strikes with Israel against Iran on February 28, marking the start of a monthslong conflict that has interrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which transports a fifth of the global oil supply. As of Tuesday, AAA reports that the national average for a gallon of regular gas is $4.50. 

,
Americans are frustrated and concerned.  Ariana Baio (INDEPENDENT) reports:

With rising gas prices, mortgage rates and consumer prices, most Americans say they blame President Donald Trump for the increased cost of living and worsening economic conditions, according to a new poll.

Between the end of April and early May, roughly 77 percent of respondents to a CNN/SSRS survey said Trump’s policies have driven the cost of living up, with most people blaming his decision to go to war with Iran and the implementation of tariffs as the driving factors.
[. . .]
Roughly 10 percent of CNN/SSRS survey respondents said that the cost of housing and the housing market were the biggest issues facing their families.


The biggest issues facing their families?  

So surely this economic crisis is occupying Chump's time and his mind constantly.  He must stay up late at night trying to figure out how to fix it -- especially since he's the one who caused all of this mess. Right?  

President Donald Trump used the ongoing discourse over his decision to re-paint the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool to hurl criticism against his opponents this week. 

In a post shared to his Truth Social platform early Tuesday, Trump shared an AI-produced image showing former President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama and House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) bathing up to their necks in a version of the pool that was filled with human waste. 

Barack, Joe and Nancy?  That's what Chump is focusing on?  Has the dementia taken over completely? 

Do the American people and their concerns not matter at all? 



The president made a stark admission on Tuesday, saying that he does not consider the finances of the American people when negotiating with Iran.

The president paused to speak to reporters before embarking on his historic trip to China. There, Trump will meet with President Xi Jinping, to discuss trade relations and the ongoing war with Iran. On Tuesday afternoon, a reporter questioned whether Trump is fully considering the economic strain that the war has put on everyday Americans.
"When you're negotiating with Iran, Mr. President, to what extent are Americans' financial situations motivating you to make a deal?" a reporter asked.

"Not even a little bit," Trump said firmly. "The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about Americans' financial situation, I don't think about anybody."


Wait.  Did he really say that?  Sara Boboltz (HUFFINGTON POST) notes:

Over the roar of Marine One, President Donald Trump made a shocking statement to a reporter who had asked specifically "to what extent ... Americans' financial situations are motivating" him to make a deal with Iran. 

"Not even a little bit," the president said Tuesday. "The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran [is] they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about Americans' financial situations — I don't think about anybody.["] 


So the American people don't enter his dementia addled brain?  We are not his concern.  Our economic plight -- created and fostered by him -- is not his concern.  





Consumer prices in the United States rose at the fastest rate since May 2023 last month, as sharp increases in energy costs caused by war in the Middle East made life more expensive for American consumers.

The Consumer Price Index rose 3.8 percent in April from a year earlier, the Labor Department reported on Tuesday, up from a 2.4 percent annual increase before the conflict started in February and a 3.3 percent increase in March.

The increase was driven largely by energy prices, up 3.8 percent just since the previous month and nearly 18 percent from a year earlier. But the “core” index, stripping out volatile food and energy prices, also rose 2.8 percent over the year in April, up from 2.6 percent in March.

“I’m looking for anything where I can say ‘here’s some relief,’ and that’s not very easy to do in this report,” said Michael Reid, chief U.S. economist at RBC Capital Markets. “Generally inflation is moving in the wrong direction.”


Other polling is equally as bad for Chump.  For example, Cindi Andrews (USA TODAY) reports, "Two-thirds of Americans say President Donald Trump hasn't made a clear case for going to war with Iran, and almost as many are feeling the financial pinch from rising gas prices caused by the conflict, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released May 11."

Nine or so weeks after he launched his war of choice, 2/3rds of Americans say he hasn't made -- he still hasn't made -- a clear case for going to war with Iran.  



Acting Department of Defense Comptroller Jay Hurst on Tuesday said the cost of the Iran war is now closer to a total of $29 billion.

“The joint staff team and the comptroller team are constantly looking at that estimate, and so now we think it’s closer to 29,” Hurst said as he testified in front of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee. 
Almost two weeks ago, Hurst testified during a House Armed Services Committee hearing that the cost of the Iran war was $25 billion in total. The new, updated cost is due to “updated repair and replacement of equipment costs and also just general operational costs to keep people in theater,” Hurst said.

The increased price tag comes as the Trump administration for weeks has been insisting that the Iran war is suspended due to a ceasefire that has been reached between the two countries. 


The increased price tag isn't the only alarming development.  Chump's been 'soothing' reality about the state of Iran's military.  Adam EntousMaggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan (NEW YORK TIMES) report; 


The Trump administration’s public portrayal of a shattered Iranian military is sharply at odds with what U.S. intelligence agencies are telling policymakers behind closed doors, according to classified assessments from early this month that show Iran has regained access to most of its missile sites, launchers and underground facilities.

Most alarming to some senior officials is evidence that Iran has restored operational access to 30 of the 33 missile sites it maintains along the Strait of Hormuz, which could threaten American warships and oil tankers transiting the narrow waterway.

People with knowledge of the assessments said they show — to varying degrees, depending on the level of damage incurred at the different sites — that the Iranians can use mobile launchers that are inside the sites to move missiles to other locations. In some cases they can launch missiles directly from launchpads that are part of the facilities. Only three of the missile sites along the strait remain totally inaccessible, according to the assessments.




Last year, FIFA president Gianni Infantino hailed the upcoming World Cup as the equivalent of “104 Super Bowls,” quantifying just how big the sport known as football worldwide is—or, at least in comparison to America’s football version. With the average Super Bowl getting 125.6 million views annually, Infantino expects the World Cup to attract the equivalent viewership of three Super Bowls a day for all 39 days of the competition. FIFA predicts games would touch six billion viewers globally, and expects the influx of travelers and tourism will help contribute to a projected $30.5 billion economic windfall for the three host countries of the U.S, Mexico and Canada.
The U.S. hospitality industry, however, is skeptical of the event’s money-making promises.

Of more than 200 hotels surveyed across the 11 U.S. host cities, nearly 80% said hotel bookings are tracking below initial forecasts, a new report from the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) found. Though FIFA data shows more than five million tickets have already been booked for the event, “indicators suggest the anticipated economic lift may fall short of expectations,” the report said. 
[. . .]
The hotels surveyed—in the cities of Kansas City, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, and Atlanta—blamed low international demand, with some saying booking pace was trending below even typical summer expectations. 

Oh, that's right.  As we noted throughout 2025, Chump was killing tourism in the US with his ICE raids and his insults and his threats and his sour face.  Jake Goldstein-Street (WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD) adds: 

Last year, FIFA President Gianni Infantino likened this year’s World Cup to “104 Super Bowls.”

With the soccer tournament a month away, that’s feeling like a stretch. 

In Seattle, which will host six matches, bullish expectations for the local tourism economy have dampened. Many other cities are in the same boat. 

The World Cup will take place between June and July, with 104 games scheduled in 16 cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Millions of tickets sold for the U.S. matches haven’t translated to hotel bookings, as domestic travelers outpace those from other countries, according to an analysis from the American Hotel and Lodging Association. 

In Seattle, nearly 80% of respondents to the association’s survey reported bookings below expectations, and behind a typical summer. Many industry professionals across the country called the World Cup a “non-event” for their businesses.


Donald Chump has destroyed the tourism and hospitality industries in the US.  Andrew Stanton (NEWSWEEK) reports:


Cities across the United States have seen up to a 65 percent decrease in Canadian tourism as the relationship between the two countries frayed amid President Donald Trump’s tariffs and talk of making Canada the 51st state, according to a new report from the University of Toronto, whose lead author told Newsweek that the decline spans more than just tourists and snowbirds.
Washington and Ottawa have long been political allies on the global stage, but that relationship has been tested by Trump’s escalated rhetoric toward Canada. His tariffs and annexation threats caused many Canadians to avoid travel to the United States, carrying economic consequences for cities and businesses dependent on tourism from Canadians. The new data reveals which cities have been hit hardest amid the Canadian tourism plunge.

U.S. cities have seen declines in Canadian tourism of up to 65 percent, according to the data. 



The economic effects of President Donald Trump's disruptive approach to foreign policy are coming into sharper focus with a year's worth of data.

As expected, a range of numbers like border crossings and hotel bookings show how Trump's trade war has killed off a large segment of Canadian tourism.

But new analysis from the University of Toronto's School of Cities now shows that other areas of the economy have taken a major hit as well.

Using cell phone data, researchers Karen Chapple, Yihoi Jung, and Jeff Allen documented an average year-over-year decline in Canadian visits to US cities of approximately 42%. That's a much larger hit than the 25% drop previously estimated based on border crossing data.

"The top 20 cities were a number of big metros that aren't exactly known as, you know, big tourist areas," Chapple told Business Insider.



Yesterday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee continued their attempts to deliver justice for those harmed by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.  The Republicans weren't interested in delivering justice.  James Comer and others on the Committee appear to be more interested in covering for Chump than in helping those in need.  House Democrats held a hearing.  After the hearing, they released the following:

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Committee Democrats, and local Democratic Members held a hearing in West Palm Beach, Florida, as part of its Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The hearing included testimony from survivors of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and important voices in the investigation. The footage of the hearing can be found here.

“Jeffrey Epstein’s survivors showed extraordinary courage in Palm Beach by coming forward to share their stories. This investigation is entering a new phase, and we’re publishing a report detailing how Epstein built his global trafficking network. We are focused on justice and ending this White House cover-up,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.

In connection with the hearing, Oversight Democrats published an interim staff report titled “The Price of Non-Prosecution: The Evolution of Epstein’s Trafficking Network, from Palm Beach to Paris and Beyond,” using new evidence obtained via subpoena to show how Epstein built a global network to traffic women following the “sweetheart” plea deal he received from former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alex Acosta, in 2008. The report can be viewed here.

At the hearing, Members of Congress heard from the following witnesses:

Sky and Amanda Roberts: brother and sister-in-law, respectively, of the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s international sex trafficking network.

Maria Farmer: the first survivor to report Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse to authorities in 1996. Maria accused Epstein of the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after he stole photos she took of her two younger sisters, who were 12 and 16 years old at the time, and also sexually assaulted her.

Dani Hannah Bensky: an advocate, dance teaching artist, choreographer, and Epstein survivor. She was abused by Epstein in 2004 and 2005, beginning when she was 17 years old and a dancer in New York City. Danielle has spoken out about the Trump Administration’s cover-up and the impact of the mishandled DOJ release. She sued Epstein’s lawyer, Darren Indyke, and his accountant, Richard Kahn, for their roles in enabling her abuse.

Roza: recruited by modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel in her home country of Uzbekistan and brought to the U.S. with promises of support for her modeling career. Roza was introduced to Epstein in Palm Beach while he was on work release in 2009, and he abused her over several years. Epstein and Brunel used Roza’s visa status and her need to support her family to keep her from escaping.

Courtney Wild: a mom, advocate, and survivor. She was abused by Epstein in Palm Beach starting when she was 14 years old and was lured to his home on the pretense of providing a massage to an older man. Courtney sued the federal government for violating the Crime Victims Rights Act by signing the NPA without consulting victims. She will speak about the lasting damage of the NPA and failures of the DOJ to bring justice for Epstein survivors.

Jena-Lisa Jones: a mom, a wife, and a Founding Survivor of the Survivors, Inc. She was abused by Epstein in Florida when she was 14 years old. Jena-Lisa has spoken about how she had supported President Trump because of his promise to release the Epstein files, but was disappointed by his reversal on the files’ release.

Spencer Kuvin: represented the first Florida survivor to come forward, and later represented multiple Epstein survivors. Spencer will address failures of the original Florida prosecution and can discuss the re-traumatization that survivors have experienced as a result of DOJ’s failure to properly safeguard their identifying information.

Lauren Hersh: activist and former prosecutor combatting trafficking, exploitation, and violence against women and girls. Lauren will speak about the work being done by survivors to bring Epstein and co-conspirators to justice. World Without Exploitation (WorldWE) is a nonpartisan organization but can speak to the impact of DOJ's release on survivors.

Palm Beach, Florida is where Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes first came to light, and where prosecutors offered Epstein a sweetheart deal that allowed him to continue his crimes. Palm Beach is also home to Mar-a-lago, President Donald Trump’s primary residence and private club. During the many years of friendship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, multiple women were recruited for Epstein from Mar-a-lago, including Virginia Guiffre. The Wall Street Journal reports that spa employees from Mar-a-Lago, usually young women, were sent to Epstein’s nearby residence for massages, manicures, and other spa services. Epstein referenced Mar-a-lago in a 2019 email to Michael Wolff, released by Oversight Democrats, when he said, “of course Trump knew about the girls.”

 
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Democrats tore into government’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein abuse scandal on Tuesday – revealing new details of the scale of his international sex trafficking ring, and warning Donald Trump not to grant a presidential pardon to the late sex offender’s sidekick Ghislaine Maxwell.

Several survivors of Epstein’s abuse also gave tearful testimony at a congressional field hearing in Florida of their experiences as teenagers in s orbit. Some spoke of being retraumatized after they were “outed” by the justice department’s failure to redact their names from the so-called Epstein files.

Democratic members of the US House oversight committee said they held Tuesday’s event in Palm Beach, where the president lives, and where Epstein had a residence, because it was “the scene of the crime”.

“We’re here because so much of this investigation brings us back to this location,” California Democrat Robert Garcia, ranking member of the oversight committee, told a press conference after the hearing.

“We know that the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the horrible things that happened to so many women and girls, totaling 1,200 could have been stopped and halted.”

Garcia began the hearing by unveiling a new report called “The Price of Non-Prosecution” that he said revealed how Epstein was able to build a substantial and lucrative international sex trafficking ring following his infamous “sweetheart deal” with Florida prosecutors in 2008.
After dodging serious charges and serving only 13 months in prison for a solicitation of prostitution conviction, he said, Epstein and his associates gamed the US immigration system to obtain visas to traffic women into the country from overseas.

“[Our] report uses evidence obtained by our investigation, including and most importantly bank records, that show how [prosecutor] Alex Acosta’s sweetheart deal let Epstein build a global network using enablers to bring in women who he could then exploit and abuse,” Garcia said.


Dani Hannah Bensky said Epstein abused her in 2004 and 2005, eight years after Maria Farmer first reported him to the FBI. When she was first subpoenaed in 2008 at age 20, no one told her she was entitled to a victims’ rights advocate or a lawyer, she told the panel on Tuesday.

“For many parts of my interview, it felt like an interrogation,” she said.

“Our entrenched systemic failures have allowed powerful people like Jeffrey to thrive,” she added. “If we continue down this path, the question isn’t whether abuse will happen again, but who will be the next Jeffrey Epstein?”

Roza, who was recruited by modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel in her home country of Uzbekistan, was introduced to Epstein in Florida.

She said she was raped by the sex offender over three years beginning in 2009 — a period in which he would he was on work release after a controversial plea agreement that avoided a lengthy prison sentence.

Roza alleges Epstein threatened her visa status and financial security to keep her from escaping.

“The fact he could commit those acts made justice feel impossible to me,” she told the panel.

After the Justice Department released millions of documents connected to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwel, the government published Roza’s name more than 500 times — exposing her name and the names of other survivors while redacting the names of powerful figures with ties to the sex offender.

Asked what justice looks like for her and other survivors, Roza said the onus is on members of Congress and federal law enforcement — not survivors whose lives have been uprooted by what they see as a system that continues to fail them while protecting powerful people.


After the hearing, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Tweeted:


Ghislaine Maxwell must never receive a pardon or clemency.

Today, at a hearing with Epstein survivors, I made clear that Maxwell has shown no remorse and taken no accountability for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse network.
12:50 PM · May 12, 2026










Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:

Murray: “We need somebody at this agency who’s focused on solving criminal cases, not passing out branded bourbon, or jetting around the globe. Your job is to be reachable. … If you want to pass out liquor, or pop bottles in a locker room, stick to podcasting.”

ICYMI: Senator Murray on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning***

Washington, D.C. — Today—at a Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the FY27 budget requests for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the United States Marshals Service (USMS); and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned FBI Director Kash Patel on steps he’s taken that have undermined the Bureau’s mission and on his fitness for the role.

Appearing at the hearing as witnesses were: Kash Patel, Director of the FBI; Robert Cekada, Director of the ATF; Gadyaces S. Serralta, Director of the U.S. Marshals Service; and Terrance C. Cole, Administrator of the DEA.

[PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS UNDERMINE FBI’S WORK]

Senator Murray began by drawing attention to the FBI successfully going after fraud and how Trump’s recent pardons undermine that important work.

MURRAY: Director Patel, I want to start by recognizing important work by the FBI to crack down on fraud. In one case, the FBI helped bring to justice multiple former business owners who orchestrated a $205 million Medicare fraud scheme on the American people.

And those business owners filed nearly a million false claims for services that they never provided to any patients. Literally stealing from American taxpayers and preying on vulnerable people who are suffering from Alzheimer’s, and dementia, and substance abuse. But thanks to the FBI, those crooks were held accountable.

So, I just wanted to ask you today if you would pass along my gratitude to those FBI agents for their tireless work bringing those criminals to justice?

PATEL: I will, ma’am. The fraud work is often overlooked, and I greatly appreciate that.

MURRAY: And very important, but I do have to say unfortunately, President Trump—the guy who says he’s going after fraud—granted this man, Lawrence Duran, clemency last June. He was set free and let off the hook for the $87 million he owed in restitution. And Trump granted clemency to Duran’s business partner last February–cutting well short her 35-year prison term.

He literally undid the important justice work the FBI served and let fraudsters off the hook, and I find that deeply disturbing.

[TAKING FBI AGENTS OFF THE BEAT]

Senator Murray continued by pressing Director Patel on how his efforts to reassign FBI agents en masse to support Trump’s mass deportation agenda have pulled resources away from critical missions and jeopardized public safety.

MURRAY: I want to take a moment to reiterate the important role of DOJ law enforcement in keeping all of us safe. Those agents and deputy marshals are absolutely critical to making sure public safety and solving crime, but I worry that instead of pursuing these child abusers, or terrorists, or drug traffickers, or other criminals, you have our agents spending time carrying out Stephen Miller’s mass deportation agenda and harassing families and children. 

I want to ask you, Director Patel, how many FBI agents have been reassigned to work on immigration enforcement?

PATEL: No one at the FBI has been reassigned to work solely on immigration, ma’am.

MURRAY: Well, I would differ with you because according to the Cato Institute, more than two thousand FBI agents were reassigned to work on immigration enforcement in 2025.

And by the way, it’s not just the FBI. More than 2,000 agents from the DEA, more than 600 from the Marshals Service, and more than 1,000 ATF agents are spending their time on immigration enforcement.

That has, really, pulled critical, highly trained assets off of work to keep our communities safe from drugs, guns, and other threats, and I find that deeply disturbing.

[INVESTIGATING JOURNALISTS]

Senator Murray then addressed grave concerns about Patel’s fitness for the role that have been underscored in recent reports and pressed him on reporting suggesting he is using FBI resources to investigate reporters who’ve covered him.

MURRAY: Now, Director Patel, I want to ask you about a number of extremely troubling stories recently about your leadership and temperament, and what’s happened to the FBI with you at the top.

And in response to all the concerns about your leadership, instead of righting the ship, you’ve taken to polygraphing your employees to scare them and attempt to rat out leakers. There are reports that you are using FBI resources to investigate journalists for reporting what’s going on. That is absolutely not what this committee intended when we funded the Bureau.

So, can you commit to this committee today that no agent-hours have been pulled from other work, like counterterrorism or violent crime investigations, to work on matters related to negative press about you or your personal lawsuit?

PATEL: Senator, I greatly appreciate the question, and I can tell you unequivocally this FBI is targeting and investigating no journalists. This FBI is targeting no journalists. The Obama and Biden administrations targeted dozens of journalists, sent out 1200 interviews—

MURRAY: I didn’t ask you about the Biden administration, I asked if you could commit to this committee that no agent hours have been pulled from other work.

PATEL: We have not done so.

MURRAY: Okay well there are reports that you’re using FBI resources to investigate journalists. You are saying to this committee today that is not true.

PATEL: That’s correct, ma’am.

[PATEL’S FITNESS TO LEAD FBI]

MURRAY: Let me just say, Director Patel. We need a serious budget for the FBI, but we also need serious leadership. And I will say this; there is one clear priority in Trump’s overall budget—and it isn’t law and order. It is war.

Because while Trump is proposing cuts to programs that really do keep people safe, he wants to increase war spending by half a trillion dollars. And I don’t need to tell anyone here: we are not going to bomb our way to safer communities.

So, I intend to help rip that budget up and help write bills that keep families safe.

But beyond that budget, we need serious leadership at the FBI that the American people can trust. And I am deeply concerned about the reports that your leadership has not been serious. We need somebody at this agency who’s focused on solving criminal cases not passing out branded bourbon, or jetting around the globe. Your job is to be reachable.

And I know Senator Van Hollen asked you about this, but I have got to say, if you want to pass out liquor, or pop bottles in a locker room, stick to podcasting. Leave law and order to people who really do care more about justice and appearances, that is really critical. It’s what I am really deeply concerned about and so are many people.

PATEL: Can I respond? This is what real leadership looks like at the FBI. Every one of you was given it. This is what’s happened under my tenure at the FBI and the Trump administration. Twenty-point drop in the homicide rate. 45,000 violent offenders arrested last year, twice as many as 2024. 2,450 criminal gangs disrupted, that’s a 322% increase from 2024. 6,900 child victims have been located since I’ve been in the seat, that’s a 144% increase. 2,900 child predators and human traffickers arrested, that’s a 70% increase and we’ve arrested eight of the top ten want of most wanted fugitives in the world in fourteen months, that’s twice as many in the four years combined. That is what the men and women of the FBI are doing—well-resourced. Everyone should take a look at this, if people want to continue the baseless, fraudulent, false personal attacks at me—that’s great. Keep the target on me as I’ve always said, but the mission has never been better.

MURRAY: I appreciate the work of our FBI agents, but leadership—serious leadership is a concern. And we are seeing the pictures of passing out branded bourbon and what happened at the Olympics, jetting around the globe and all the rest of it—and that, I will say again, Mr. Chairman, is of deep concern to me.

###





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