Patel defends FBI pull-up test after Hirono decries it as gender bias in Senate showdown

"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."

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.

Patel rejected that claim. 

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