Chris Van Hollen shares alcohol test results, challenges Kash Patel to take same test

WASHINGTON, DC: A heated Capitol Hill exchange from Tuesday spilled onto social media on Wednesday, May 13 after Senator Chris Van Hollen publicly released the results of his alcohol screening test and challenged FBI Director Kash Patel to keep a promise he made during a tense Senate hearing. 

The post quickly turned a combative oversight session into a very public test of credibility between the two men.

Chris Van Hollen's test results go public

Hours after their fiery exchange, Van Hollen posted the results of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, better known as the AUDIT, a screening tool used to assess alcohol-related behavioral risks.

“Kash Patel told me he’d take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test if I did. Well, here’s mine,” the Maryland Democrat wrote online while sharing his completed assessment.

He then directly challenged Patel to do the same. “Given all the lies he told yesterday, I imagine he’ll fudge the numbers here, but let’s see yours, Director Patel.”

The challenge came after Patel had agreed, on the record, to take the same test during a contentious Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing.

“I’ll take any test you’re willing to take,” Patel had told Van Hollen. When the senator accepted, Patel fired back saying “Let’s go. Side by side.”

Van Hollen’s posted results showed he reported drinking alcohol two to three times per week, while answering “never” to the remaining behavioral-risk questions on the survey.

Fiery senate showdown draws focus

The clash erupted during a budget hearing focused on the FBI, where Van Hollen questioned Patel over allegations raised in a recent media report about his conduct and work habits.

The senator argued that concerns about a public official’s private conduct become relevant when they affect professional responsibilities.

“When your private actions make it impossible for you to perform your public duties, we have a big problem,” Van Hollen told Patel during the hearing.

Patel strongly denied the accusations, calling them “unequivocally and categorically false.”

The hearing then quickly deteriorated into a personal exchange, with Patel accusing Van Hollen of hypocrisy and bringing up the senator’s controversial trip to El Salvador earlier.

Patel also referenced campaign expenses tied to a Washington event, intensifying what had already become one of the most combative moments of the hearing.

The confrontation followed reporting that questioned Patel’s alleged drinking habits and claimed there were occasions when staff struggled to reach him while he was off duty.

Patel has flatly denied those claims and has accused the media of pushing what he described as false and politically motivated allegations.