Democrat Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii clashed with FBI Director Kash Patel during a heated Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, questioning agency firing and counterterrorism priorities and even calling the bureau’s physical fitness requirements ‘harsh’ for applicants.

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

‘That’s why, under my watch, every field office is receiving more trained agents, more boots on the ground and a renewed commitment to getting out from behind the desks and back onto the streets where they’re needed most. We’re rebuilding a bureau that earns the public’s confidence by being present, prepared and physically ready to do the job.’

The most viral clash came when Hirono pressed Patel on fitness standards.

‘One question I had is that you are now requiring applicants to be able to do a certain kind of pull-ups, which a lot of women cannot because of physiological differences. Are you requiring these kinds of pull-ups?’ Hirono asked.

Patel didn’t budge.

‘We are requiring everybody to pass the 1811 standards at BFTC. If you want to chase down a bad guy, excuse me, and put him in handcuffs, you had better be able to do a pull-up.’

Hirono replied, ‘There are concerns about whether or not being able to do these kinds of harsh pull-ups is really required of FBI agents.’

Patel interjected, ‘Doing one pull-up is not harsh, and there are always medical exemptions to that.’

According to the FBI recruitment website, ‘Starting in November 2025, pull-ups will be a required event for all candidates.’ For male recruits, 2-3 pull-ups are now a required minimum alongside the traditional Physical Fitness Test (PFT). For female candidates, one pull-up is the required minimum. 

Any additional pull-ups count to a recruit’s overall PFT score, with the maximum points received for 20 or more pull-ups capped at 10.

The White House’s official X account, @RapidResponse47, shared the exchange in a now-viral clip on X.

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

‘Your most significant qualification … was your 100% loyalty to President Trump. And I fear that continues to be the motivating factor in your position as FBI director.’

Patel rejected that claim. 

‘That is an entire falsehood. You can delete my 16 years of government service to multiple administrations all you want. … There was no loyalty then. There’s no loyalty now to anything but the Constitution.’

Patel also used the hearing to share the bureau’s wins under his leadership. He pointed to 409 cyber arrests this year and 169 convictions, a 42% increase from the same time last year.

The FBI and the office of Sen. Mazie Hirono did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The Social Security Administration is pushing back against Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., after she accused the agency of removing key data and covering up dysfunction.

In a Sept. 16, 2025 letter and data report shared exclusively with Fox News Digital, SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano claimed Warren’s analysis was inaccurate. 

He said the agency is more transparent and performing better under the Trump administration than it did under the prior administration. The documents reflect SSA’s position and have not been independently verified.

‘SSA currently reports nearly three times the number of data elements on the performance webpage under the Trump Administration (30) than it did under the Biden Administration (11),’ Bisignano wrote.

‘These facts conclusively demonstrate that you are wrong in alleging a lack of transparency.’

He also pushed back on Warren’s charge of a cover-up, saying SSA has made improvements in customer service, including ‘shorter wait times on the phones and in offices, as well as reduced backlogs.’ Bisignano said 81 percent of performance measures are better than before, with the rest about the same.

According to SSA’s data, average phone wait times dropped from 29 minutes in 2024 to 16 minutes in 2025, with August down to just 9 minutes.

Pending disability determinations fell from nearly 1.2 million in August 2024 to about 907,000 a year later. Disability claim processing sped up from 231 days to 217 days. SSA reports retirement and survivor claims were processed on time 87% of the time in August 2025.

Bisignano wrote that the agency’s goal is to become a ‘digital-first’ operation that runs efficiently and serves people whether they call, visit an office or use the website. He said constant monitoring of key performance indicators is part of that effort.

He also urged Warren to work with SSA instead of spreading what he called ‘fearmongering and reckless lies that Social Security is going away.’

‘The time has come to stop weaponizing Social Security,’ he wrote. ‘The American people do not want a Social Security War Room. They want their leaders to protect and preserve Social Security, just as President Trump has promised.’

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will receive a full royal welcome from King Charles III following their arrival to Windsor Castle on Tuesday night.

Wednesday’s festivities will kick off with Trump, the first lady and several top U.S. officials participating in a carriage procession with the king, queen and other members of the royal family. Ahead of the couple’s arrival, hundreds of staff worked through the halls and grounds of the nearly 1,000-year-old castle to ensure the monarch welcomed the couple in true royal fashion.

Trump is set to ride in the foremost carriage along with King Charles, while Melania will ride in a following carriage with the queen. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and special envoy Steve Witkoff will also ride in follow-up carriages.

Ahead of his visit, Trump hailed the ‘great honor’ of being hosted by his ‘friend’ at ‘the ultimate’ Windsor Castle for his second state visit, the U.K.’s Standard reported.

‘My relationship is very good with the U.K., and Charles, as you know, who’s now king, is my friend,’ Trump told reporters, quoted by the outlet. ‘It’s the first time this has ever happened where somebody was honored twice. So, it’s a great honor.’

‘And this one’s at Windsor,’ Trump added. ‘And I don’t want to say one’s better than the other, but they say Windsor Castle is the ultimate, right? So, it’s going to be nice.’

‘Primarily it’s to be with Charles and Camilla,’ he continued. ‘They’ve been friends of mine for a long time, long before he was king, and it’s an honor to have this king.’

The centerpiece of Trump’s visit is set to be the banquet in St. George’s Hall. The Waterloo Table, about half the length of a football field, can seat up to 160 guests. The Associated Press reported it takes five full days to set the table, which is laid with more than 4,000 pieces, including 200-year-old silver.

The visit comes as the U.S. and U.K. continue trade negotiations, though the White House has not indicated that any deals will be announced during the event.

Trump is the first U.S. president to be invited for two state visits by a British monarch. The late queen hosted him and Melania in 2019 during his first administration.

Fox News’ Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report

The Justice Department plans to call a fresh lineup of witnesses Wednesday as the federal trial of Ryan Routh, accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in 2024, enters its eighth day.

Prosecutors told the court they expect testimony from Ronnie Jay Oxendine, the man who allegedly sold Routh the rifle tied to the case, as well as multiple FBI agents and specialists. The list includes Patrick M. Lantry, a task force officer with the FBI; Aaron Thompson; Matthew S. Perry, an FBI special agent;Garett L. Foo, an FBI special agent; and Laura E. Haller, an FBI special agent and digital forensic examiner.

Also scheduled are Lazaro and Samuel Plata, whose testimony will be aided by two Spanish-English translators in the courtroom.

Tuesday’s proceedings centered on forensic evidence from Routh’s alleged phones and DNA. Jurors saw WhatsApp messages and texts allegedly recovered from Routh’s seized devices, including one exchange where Routh wrote, ‘I hate him… shan’t get elected again,’ referring to Trump. Another message read, ‘If I can help just let me know what to do.’

FBI experts also testified that Routh’s DNA was strongly linked to the rifle grip, a bag, a glove and other items prosecutors say were found in the alleged sniper’s nest. Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon kept a tight rein on the pace of testimony, pressing prosecutors to shorten questioning and reminding Routh — who is representing himself — to stop interrupting.

With prosecutors expected to rest their case by the end of the week, Wednesday’s testimony could prove pivotal as jurors weigh the government’s evidence against the self-represented defendant who will bring his witnesses forward beginning next week.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to school.

Pence, who served as vice president during President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House but who later ran against his former boss in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries, is joining George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government as a distinguished professor of practice.

The northern Virginia-based school said that Pence will begin teaching undergraduate courses and public-facing seminars starting in next year’s spring semester.

The school, in a Tuesday announcement, also said that Pence will be available via moderated discussions and mentorship programs with students pursuing degrees in political science, law, public administration and related fields.

Schar School Dean Mark Rozell said that the former vice president’s ‘disciplined approach to communication and his deeply rooted conservative philosophy provide a principled framework to discussions of federalism, the separation of powers, and the role of values in public life.’

And Pence, in a statement, said that ‘throughout my years of public service, I have seen firsthand the importance of principled leadership and fidelity to the Constitution in shaping the future of our nation. I look forward to sharing these lessons with the next generation of American leaders and learning from the remarkable students and faculty of George Mason University.’

The now-66-year-old Pence, a former congressman, was Indiana’s governor when Trump named him his running mate in 2016. For four years, Pence served as the loyal vice president to Trump during the president’s first term in the White House.

However, everything changed on Jan. 6, 2021, as pro-Trump protesters — including some chanting ‘hang Mike Pence’ — stormed the U.S. Capitol aiming to upend congressional certification of now-former President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, a process overseen by Pence in his constitutional role as vice president. 

The attack on the Capitol took place soon after Trump spoke to a large rally of supporters near the White House about unproven claims that the 2020 election was ‘rigged’ due to massive ‘voter fraud.’

Pence rejected the advice of the Secret Service that he flee the Capitol, and after the rioters were eventually removed from the Capitol, he resumed his constitutional role in overseeing the congressional certification ceremony.

The former vice president has repeatedly refuted Trump’s claim that he could have overturned the presidential election results. Despite that, Trump loyalists have never forgiven Pence, whom they view as a traitor, for refusing to assist the president’s repeated efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Pence in June 2023 launched a presidential campaign of his own, joining a large field of challengers to Trump gunning for the 2024 GOP nomination, becoming the first running mate in over 80 years to run against their former boss.

Pence ran on a traditional conservative platform, framing the future of the Republican Party against what he called the rise of ‘populism’ in the party. 

Among the slim anti-Trump base of the Republican Party, Pence received praise for his courage during the attack on the Capitol, often receiving thanks at town halls during his campaign for standing up to Trump. 

While Pence regularly campaigned in the crucial early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, his White House bid never took off. Struggling in the polls and with fundraising, he suspended his campaign just four and a half months after declaring his candidacy.

Senate Republicans are calling foul on Senate Democrats’ opposition to the GOP’s short-term plan to keep the government funded, calling it hypocritical. 

House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled their seven-week funding extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR), which congressional Republicans argue is as ‘clean’ as can be. That means that the bill largely lacks any additional spending or policy riders.

But Senate Democrats have dug in deep on their rejection of the proposal, increasing the likelihood of a government shutdown come Sept. 30. It comes after Democrats previously warned Republicans not to use government funding as a political weapon when Democrats were in charge of the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., will ultimately need Democrats to pass a government funding patch. 

He argued that under former President Joe Biden’s administration, Senate Democrats overwhelmingly voted for 13 CRs.

‘Ninety-six percent of the Democrats voted for all 13 of those,’ Thune said. ‘This is, again, a new practice that’s been invented because of Trump Derangement Syndrome, and because these Democrats hate giving this president anything.’  

Senate Republicans are now titling the possibility of a partial government shutdown as a ‘Schumer Shutdown,’ given Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus’ unwillingness to support the GOP-authored bill.

‘Now, all of a sudden, they can’t vote for it? It’s ridiculous,’ Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., told Fox News Digital. ‘That’s exactly where they’re coming from, and it should be called the ‘Schumer Shutdown.’’

When asked why Democrats were entrenched against the Republicans’ bill, given their previous push for clean stopgaps, Schumer argued that ‘we’re in a much different situation’ after the GOP passed President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ the $9 billion clawback of foreign aid and public broadcasting funding, and the administration’s move to claw back an additional $5 billion in foreign aid.

He also ripped Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for not sitting down with him and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to negotiate a spending deal. Thune countered that his office is right around the corner from Schumer’s.

‘They even refuse to have bipartisan negotiations,’ Schumer said. ‘We’ve always had bipartisan negotiations on this. Johnson put his bill in. No Democratic input, and that is why the Republicans are heading for us for a shutdown. We don’t want it.’

Part of the disagreement with the bill also stemmed from Trump’s edict that Republicans shouldn’t ‘even bother’ with Democrats and that ‘we have to get Republican votes.’

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, told Fox News Digital that all Democrats needed was for Trump ‘to take back what he said about the process needing to be more partisan rather than less.’

‘If they go it alone, then it’s not unreasonable for us to say, ‘We wish you the best, but you won’t be getting our votes,’’ Schatz said. 

Despite the saber-rattling, they haven’t said precisely what they dislike about the House GOP’s offering. They say it’s not so much about what’s in the bill, but rather what’s not.

The top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., told Fox News Digital that it was a ‘lack of language on impoundments and the pocket rescission, things like that that we’ve been talking about.’

The other part is that the CR does not contain an extension to ObamaCare premium subsidies passed during the COVID-19 pandemic that are set to expire in December.

Democrats argue that an extension should be attached to the stopgap because insurance providers are teeing up new insurance rates ahead of the Nov. 1 open enrollment start date for the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, argued that lawmakers could wait until November to move on an extension.

‘You can wait,’ Collins said. ‘Because… they can keep the eligibility criteria steady for next year and have the revised eligibility.’

While Schumer and Democrats are expected to give Thune headaches throughout the ordeal, he may have to wrangle some fiscal hawks weary of CRs on his side of the aisle, too. 

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., argued that the spending levels set in the House GOP’s bill were the same as those set under Biden, which Republicans ‘all decried in the election.’

‘So any Republican who votes for this, I guess maybe they should apologize to Biden for being against his spending levels,’ Paul said. ‘Because they’re actually voting for his spending levels now.’

And Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital that he hadn’t thoroughly reviewed the text of the bill yet, but he noted he was not typically a fan of funding extensions.

‘The goal was always that we start having a real budgeting process, and so it’s really frustrating that we haven’t done that,’ he said. 

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump received a full royal welcome from King Charles III following their arrival to Windsor Castle on Tuesday night.

Wednesday’s festivities kicked off with Trump, the first lady and several top U.S. officials participating in a carriage procession with the king, queen and other members of the royal family. Ahead of the couple’s arrival, hundreds of staff worked through the halls and grounds of the nearly 1,000-year-old castle to ensure the monarch welcomed the couple in true royal fashion.

Trump rode in the foremost carriage along with King Charles, while Melania was in a following carriage with the queen. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and special envoy Steve Witkoff also rode in follow-up carriages.

Ahead of his visit, Trump hailed the ‘great honor’ of being hosted by his ‘friend’ at ‘the ultimate’ Windsor Castle for his second state visit, the U.K.’s Standard reported.

‘My relationship is very good with the U.K., and Charles, as you know, who’s now king, is my friend,’ Trump told reporters, quoted by the outlet. ‘It’s the first time this has ever happened where somebody was honored twice. So, it’s a great honor.’

‘And this one’s at Windsor,’ Trump added. ‘And I don’t want to say one’s better than the other, but they say Windsor Castle is the ultimate, right? So, it’s going to be nice.’

‘Primarily it’s to be with Charles and Camilla,’ he continued. ‘They’ve been friends of mine for a long time, long before he was king, and it’s an honor to have this king.’

The centerpiece of Trump’s visit is set to be the banquet in St. George’s Hall. The Waterloo Table, about half the length of a football field, can seat up to 160 guests. The Associated Press reported it takes five full days to set the table, which is laid with more than 4,000 pieces, including 200-year-old silver.

The visit comes as the U.S. and U.K. continue trade negotiations, though the White House has not indicated that any deals will be announced during the event.

Trump is the first U.S. president to be invited for two state visits by a British monarch. The late queen hosted him and Melania in 2019 during his first administration.

Fox News’ Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report