Kash Patel’s FBI Leadership ‘Under Fire’ from Top Trump Officials, and AG Pam Bondi ‘Can’t Stand Him’ — Blockbuster Fox News Report Reveals
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
A blockbuster report from Fox News reveals FBI Director Kash Patel may be in trouble — as he’s lost the confidence of Attorney General Pam Bondi and other top Trump administration officials.
According to a report on FoxNews.com written by the network’s senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, Patel’s leadership of the Bureau is “under fire.” Heinrich cited 10 sources across multiple federal agencies who indicated Patel is in the hot seat.
In particular, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche have completely lost faith in Patel.
“The White House, Bondi, Blanche have no confidence in Kash,” an unnamed source with “knowledge of ongoing personnel discussions” told Heinrich. “Pam, in particular, cannot stand him. Blanche either.”
The report cites the presence of former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey — who is being sworn in Monday for an unprecedented FBI Deputy Director role in tandem with current Deputy Director Dan Bongino — as ominous for Patel’s long-term prospects at the FBI.
“Allies of President Trump and Patel’s harshest critics have begun to circulate word that contingency plans for Patel’s ouster are forming,” Heinrich wrote. “They also claim his hopeful successor, Andrew Bailey, made clear that he would not leave his post as Missouri’s AG – or abandon his aspirations to run for state governor – only to serve as Patel’s No. 2.”
Patel has come under heavy criticism, even from prominent MAGA influencers, over his handling of the manhunt for the Charlie Kirk shooting suspect.
“One senior White House official involved in personnel decisions also framed Patel’s botched communications during the manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s assassin as something Patel likely wished he could do differently, if he could do it all over again,” Heinrich wrote.
Appearing on Fox & Friends Monday morning, Patel told the curvy couch that his X post about an initial “subject in custody” early in the investigation could have “been worded a little better” after that person was released without charges.
As for President Donald Trump himself, Heinrich reports the commander-in-chief was “not thrilled” about the public feud that broke out between Patel and Bondi over the DOJ’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Still, Trump “did not call for any action to be taken” in the wake of the widely-panned manhunt for the suspected Kirk assassin. And publicly, Bondi and the White House are standing behind Patel.
“Our only priority is to continue working together with the FBI to make America safer by ensuring murderers and violent criminals face the most severe justice,” Bondi told Fox News in a statement. “Director Patel and the FBI have worked tirelessly with my agencies and state partners, leading to the arrest of the suspect in the assassination of my friend, Charlie.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung added, “Director Patel and his team worked night and day to find this murderer and bring him to justice. Anyone who doubts his resolve and dedication – especially when Charlie was such a close friend to him – simply is using this extremely sad moment in a disgusting act of political gamesmanship. The focus was on catching this killer, and he will face the full wrath of the justice system.”
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