A Senate hearing with FBI Director Kash Patel took a bizarre turn on Tuesday when he got into an extended discussion with Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) about bestiality.

The exchange initially began when Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) asked Patel about a report last month that said people who have hired sex workers or engaged in bestiality, among other things, would no longer be automatically disqualified from working for the FBI.

Patel said the rule was meant to ensure that victims of those crimes could still potentially work for the agency. That explanation left Kennedy baffled during the contentious five-hour Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

“What about the bestiality?” Kennedy asked before inquiring what the rule formerly said.

“It automatically disqualified any individual who participated on either side of it,” Patel said.

“This side of what? The bestiality?” Kennedy asked. “So, you disqualified the animal?”

Patel chuckled and briefly defended the FBI’s canines before Kennedy cut him off.

“I’m trying to understand why you did this,” Kennedy said, adding that this kind of news hurts the FBI. “...Why would you even get into bestiality?”

“We are not into bestiality,” Patel said.

“I know you’re not, but you changed the qualifications and mentioned bestiality,” Kennedy said, growing exasperated. “If Joe participated in bestiality, not as the animal but as the human, don’t you think he ought to be disqualified?”

“If he voluntarily did it, sure,” Patel said.

“How do you involuntarily do it?” Kennedy pressed.

Patel explained that human traffickers force victims into “degrading acts,” but some of those victims later go into law enforcement and should not be disqualified from joining the FBI.

See the full exchange below:

Interesting… Kennedy is going after Kash Patel on questioning. pic.twitter.com/p6ivx3cVj2

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