A new political dust-up erupted Tuesday after President Donald Trump publicly denied reports that he had considered firing FBI Director Kash Patel. This claim directly contradicts what multiple sources told MS NOW. According to their reporting, Trump had floated the idea of removing Patel as early as December, raising concerns inside the White House and among senior law enforcement officials.
But in a swift pushback, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took to X to call the story “completely made up,” insisting the president had never contemplated removing Patel. She said she was physically in the Oval Office when the article dropped — during a meeting that Patel himself attended — and Trump allegedly laughed at the headline.
Leavitt wrote that Trump reacted immediately, saying, “What? That’s totally false. Come on Kash, let’s take a picture to show them you’re doing a great job!” She then posted a smiling photo of Trump and Patel standing side by side — an image meant to bury the story, but that raised new questions rather than putting the matter to rest.
This story is completely made up.
In fact, when this Fake News published, I was in the Oval Office, where President Trump was meeting with his law enforcement team, including FBI Director Kash Patel.
I read the headline to the President and he laughed. He said: “What? That’s… https://t.co/qbsy0nW2Bg pic.twitter.com/aNL5Qw9MA8
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) November 25, 2025
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A Photo-Op Doesn’t Erase the Pattern
For critics of the administration, the denial felt familiar. Trump has a long record of publicly dismissing reporting on internal tensions only for the stories to be later confirmed. From the abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey to the rotating cast of Homeland Security officials he cycled through during his first term, the president’s relationship with senior law enforcement has always been volatile.
That volatility is amplified by Patel’s recent controversies — which may explain why some insiders believed Trump was nearing his breaking point. Patel has faced a wave of scrutiny after reports surfaced that he used a government jet for a personal “date night” with his girlfriend, a move that watchdog groups say could constitute misuse of federal resources.
These allegations come on top of longstanding concerns about Patel’s hyper-partisan behavior, including his role in efforts to undermine the intelligence community during Trump’s previous term. For many observers, the idea that Trump might privately consider dumping Patel — even if he ultimately didn’t — wasn’t a stretch.
Denials Undercut by Trump’s History
Trump’s defenders argue the story is just another example of “Fake News,” a phrase Leavitt used in her post. But the president’s track record complicates the credibility of such denials. Over the years, his public statements have often diverged from what insiders later reveal. Even Trump’s own allies have admitted that the White House frequently makes decisions impulsively — and reverses them just as quickly.
For law enforcement officials already uneasy about Patel’s growing list of controversies, the administration’s posture may do little to calm nerves. And for critics of Trump’s leadership style, the episode highlights something deeper: a presidency that often prioritizes public loyalty displays, like photo-ops, over the substance of governance.
A Familiar Pattern Heading Into 2026
As the White House braces for a turbulent election year, the Patel episode serves as another reminder of the ongoing instability surrounding Trump’s leadership of the nation’s top law-enforcement bodies. Whether or not Trump truly considered firing Patel, the conflicting narratives — leaks from insiders versus performative denials from the Oval Office — reinforce a pattern Americans have seen many times before.
For a presidency defined by contradictions, this latest dispute is less an exception than the rule.
Featured image via X
