The White House pushed back hard on a report claiming President Trump is weighing whether to remove FBI Director Kash Patel. The story, published by MS NOW and based on unnamed sources, suggested Trump and his inner circle were uneasy about recent coverage of Patel’s conduct.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she read the headline aloud to Trump in the Oval Office while Patel was standing right there. According to her, Trump laughed it off and said, “What? That’s totally false. Come on Kash, let’s take a picture to show them you’re doing a great job.” She later posted that photo—both men smiling with thumbs up.
During a flight to Florida on Air Force One, Trump was asked again if he planned to replace Patel. His response was simple: “No.”
MS NOW, however, is standing by its reporting. The outlet pointed to concerns inside Trump’s circle about stories detailing Patel’s use of FBI resources. One example: a New York Times report that a Bureau SWAT team acted as security for Patel’s girlfriend at an NRA convention, and that Patel used a government jet for personal trips.
Patel joined Trump at the White House on Nov. 25 for the annual turkey pardon, and Trump publicly praised him as “very busy doing a great job.”
Patel’s appointment was controversial from the start. During his confirmation hearing, Sen. Dick Durbin argued Patel lacked the experience and judgment needed to lead the FBI. Since taking over, Patel has been central to Trump’s harder-edged approach to federal law enforcement, a shift that has unsettled many inside the Bureau. A lawsuit filed in September accuses him of unlawfully firing senior officials at Trump’s direction in an effort to transform the FBI into a political weapon for the White House.
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