Kash Patel has been the FBI director for 14 months. And in that relatively short span, reports suggest the job has already turned into a revolving door of controversy.
According to The Atlantic, he has allegedly missed work repeatedly, used the bureau’s private jet and security detail for personal errands, and been seen drinking to obvious intoxication at social venues in Washington and Las Vegas.
Now, senior White House officials are reportedly already discussing who could replace him.
But one episode stands out for its sheer absurdity.
On April 10, Patel was preparing to head into the weekend when he encountered a problem and couldn’t access an internal FBI system. What followed, according to two people familiar with the incident, went well beyond a simple glitch.
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He reportedly concluded he had been locked out by the White House and immediately began calling aides and associates, convinced he had been fired.
Described as a “freak-out,” the episode played out rapidly before the explanation landed. It was just a technical glitch.
Meanwhile, the confusion didn’t stay contained inside his office. The White House began receiving calls from both FBI personnel and members of Congress trying to confirm who was actually running the bureau.
Inside the agency, some agents reportedly showed relief at the possibility he was gone.
Sarah Fitzpatrick’s Atlantic investigation, based on more than two dozen sources, adds more.
It also describes Patel as frequently absent, allegedly using FBI resources for personal travel, and drinking in ways that may violate bureau conduct standards. The report notes that behavior exposes the vulnerability of a top law enforcement official to compromise.
Even President Donald Trump reportedly took notice.
After seeing Patel drinking with the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team, he allegedly called him to express displeasure. The message, however, did not appear to change much.
The response to the report has been sharp on all sides.
Fitzpatrick stood firm, saying: “I stand by every word of this reporting,” and noting that The Atlantic has “excellent attorneys.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed Patel’s potential exit concerns, calling him a “critical player” on the administration’s law-and-order team, without addressing the allegations directly.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche went further, calling the story an “anonymously sourced hit piece” rather than journalism.
Patel himself responded in characteristically combative fashion on X.
“No amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI,” he posted, adding that critics would be taken to court and warning of “actual malice” claims. He also framed the reporting as politically motivated “fake news,” insisting the bureau remains focused on national safety.
Memo to the fake news – the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop. Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 18, 2026
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
