Watch: Republican senator presses Kash Patel on bestiality in bizarre exchange

September 15, 2026

FBI Director Kash Patel appeared before Congress to defend a recent policy change regarding background checks for potential FBI agents. The modification removes automatic disqualification for applicants who have a history involving bestiality. During questioning by Republican Senator John Kennedy, Patel explained that the revised policy aims to protect victims rather than penalize them.

Who is affected

FBI Director Kash Patel
Republican Senator John Kennedy
Human trafficking victims who were forced to engage in bestiality
FBI applicants who were previously disqualified due to bestiality in their background
The FBI as an organization

What action is being taken

The FBI is rolling back (removing) restrictions that previously automatically disqualified applicants with a history of bestiality from consideration for employment.

Why it matters

This policy change is significant because it recognizes that some individuals with such histories in their background may actually be victims of serious crimes like human trafficking rather than voluntary participants. The new approach prevents qualified candidates who were victimized from being automatically barred from FBI employment, addressing a distinction between perpetrators and victims in the application screening process.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC