FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday defended a new pull-up requirement for recruits and rejected Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono’s contention that the test is biased against women, saying the standard is necessary for officers to do the physical work of the job.
The exchange unfolded at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing where Hirono, D-Hawaii, questioned staffing shifts, firings and the bureau’s counterterrorism priorities and described the bureau’s pull-up requirement as “harsh” for female applicants because of “physiological differences.” Patel said the FBI is requiring recruits to meet the agency’s 1811 standards and that the ability to perform at least one pull-up is a reasonable baseline for carrying out duties such as pursuing and handcuffing suspects.
"Doing one pull-up is not harsh and there are always medical exemptions to that," Patel said, according to a transcript of the hearing. He told senators the requirement will be part of the FBI’s training curriculum and that the agency has increased staffing and field presence under his leadership to better address crime.
The FBI’s recruitment website says that starting in November 2025 pull-ups will be a required event for all candidates. The site lists a required minimum of 2–3 pull-ups for male recruits and one pull-up for female recruits; additional pull-ups count toward the overall Physical Fitness Test score, with maximum points allotted for 20 or more pull-ups.
Hirono also accused Patel of prioritizing loyalty to former President Donald Trump over the bureau’s independence. "Your most significant qualification… was your 100% loyalty to President Trump. And I fear that continues to be the motivating factor in your position as FBI director," she said. Patel rejected that characterization, calling it "an entire falsehood" and pointing to his 16 years of government service across multiple administrations.
Patel used the hearing to highlight operational results under his tenure, saying the FBI has secured 409 cyber arrests and 169 convictions this year, a 42% increase in convictions compared with the same period last year. He described recent staff reassignments as part of a "surge of resources" aimed at combating violent crime rather than personnel being removed from core responsibilities.
"They never left their primary job. It is a surge of resources in law enforcement working with the interagency to combat violent crime and reduce crime in historical proportions," Patel said.
The exchange was shared widely on social media; the White House’s official account reposted a clip from the hearing. The FBI and Hirono’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Senators on both sides of the aisle have periodically scrutinized FBI recruitment and training standards as the agency balances hiring targets, physical readiness and legal protections. The dispute at Tuesday’s hearing highlighted those tensions as lawmakers questioned how the bureau sets fitness benchmarks and reallocates personnel to address evolving criminal threats.
Patel framed the fitness standards as part of a broader effort to rebuild public confidence in the bureau by increasing field staffing and readiness. He said the bureau is focused on getting agents "out from behind the desks and back onto the streets where they’re needed most," and emphasized that the agency will continue to allow medical exemptions where appropriate.
