Patel's appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee is the first oversight hearing of his young but tumultuous tenure and provides a high-stakes platform for him to try to reassure wary lawmakers that he is the right person for the job at a time of internal upheaval and mounting concerns about political violence inside the U.S., which President Donald Trump has sought to blame squarely on the left.
Vice President JD Vance called on the public to turn in anyone who says distasteful things about his friend and political ally, a staunch free speech advocate. "When you see someone celebrating Charlie's murder, call them out," Vance said Monday. "And hell, call their employer."