A leaked report prepared for US congressional committees alleges that the FBI under Director Kash Patel has become a “rudderless ship” paralysed by fear and plummeting morale, with insiders describing Patel as “in over his head”. The 115-page assessment, compiled by a national alliance of retired and active-duty FBI special agents and analysts, is based on confidential accounts from 24 FBI sources.
The report accuses Patel of lacking the experience required to lead the bureau and claims that managers are afraid to take initiative without explicit direction for fear of being fired. Two sources independently characterised the director as “in over his head”, with one stating he “lacks the requisite knowledge or deep understanding of all the FBI’s unique and complex investigative and intelligence programs”.
The assessment also details an incident on 11 September, the day after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, when Patel refused to leave the FBI jet in Provo, Utah, without an appropriate raid jacket. According to the report, agents had to stop their work to find a jacket, and Patel complained about missing Velcro patches before Swat team members removed patches from their own uniforms to attach to the borrowed jacket. The same source confirmed media reports that Patel “yelled” at the special agent-in-charge and directed “an expletive-laden tirade” over “perceived blunders” in the case.
Patel and his deputy director, Dan Bongino, are also criticised for an excessive focus on social media, with employees reporting they hear more about the bureau’s mission from leadership’s social media posts than through official internal channels. Bongino, who lacks traditional FBI experience and was granted a Patel-authorized waiver exempting him from standard polygraph screening, is described by one source as “something of a clown”.
The White House defended Patel, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson stating: “President Trump has assembled the most talented and impressive administration in history and they are doing an excellent job carrying out the President’s agenda. FBI Director Patel is a critical member of the President’s team and he is working tirelessly to restore integrity to the FBI.”
Patel’s tenure has been marked by controversy, including criticism over his refusal to release Jeffrey Epstein files, a premature arrest announcement in the Kirk investigation that was later retracted, and allegations that he assigned Swat personnel to protect his girlfriend and used government aircraft for personal travel.
