Patel Taking Heat Over Kirk Investigation

FBI Director Kash Patel, criticized as inexperienced and out for retribution early on, appears to be facing the biggest test of his leadership yet. Ten sources across the federal government tell Fox News that his leadership is "under fire" amid the investigation into the Charlie Kirk assassination. One source says the White House, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and her deputy, Todd Blanche "have no confidence" in Patel. Sources also say President Trump is unhappy with Patel's performance, including his public spat with Bondi over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, and that his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, backed plans to replace Patel. Bondi and Blanche denied the account, while the White House said it has no plans to remove the FBI leader.

Still, the decision to appoint former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey as co-deputy director of the FBI alongside Dan Bongino has raised eyebrows, per Fox. After the decision was made public, Patel's allies began asking around about whether he would be forced out, sources say. On Wednesday, Patel was sued by former FBI officials who claim their firings were illegal. Later that day—reportedly while dining at an exclusive restaurant in New York—he announced that a suspect in Kirk's killing was in custody, surprising local law enforcement who believed the killer was still at large, per Fox. The FBI then had to clarify that two people had been questioned and released.

Patel maintained he was right to be "telling the world what the FBI was doing," though he admitted he could've worded his statement "a little better." Days later, he claimed the FBI had managed to arrest the suspect only after overruling Utah officials, as though he was showboating, per NBC News. He's showing "he's got zero leadership experience and capabilities," giving the impression that the FBI was unorganized in the middle of "an unfolding crisis," former FBI counterterrorism official Christopher O'Leary tells NBC. Patel has also been heavily criticized by podcasters, including Dan Abrams and Tim Dillon, with Abrams claiming he's "not up to the job of FBI director," per Mediaite.