Patel’s fiery testimony underscored the Trump era’s contempt for congressional oversight

CNN’s Aaron Blake argues that Kash Patel’s congressional testimony exemplified the Trump administration’s disdain for accountability: Patel attacked lawmakers, repeated disputed claims about Sen. Chris Van Hollen and an El Salvador meeting, and invoked a 'convicted gangbanging rapist' line that he’d misrepresented. The piece notes the El Salvador incident involved staged drinks and campaign funds, not taxpayer dollars, and points to a broader pattern of false statements in testimony as checks and balances fray under a GOP-dominated Congress.