President Donald Trump is standing by FBI Director Kash Patel after allegations of frequent public intoxication and other troubling behavior emerged in a blockbuster magazine article. According to documents published by The Intercept on Friday, Patel admitted to two alcohol-related arrests: one for public intoxication as a minor while an undergraduate in Virginia, and another for public urination while drinking in New York City as a law student.
Patel detailed both incidents in a letter for his personnel file when he worked as a public defender in Miami-Dade County, Florida, after being asked to explain the arrests because he had disclosed them in his Florida Bar application. He wrote, “Both of these incidents are not representative of my usual conduct of behavior, and it is my hope that the [Florida Bar] views them as an anomaly.”
White House Support
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters outside the West Wing on Friday that Trump “does still have confidence in the FBI director.” She added, “The crime rates in this country have completely plummeted, we're at a 125 year low in murder rates across this country .... so the President is grateful for the efforts of the great men and women of the FBI who are help making this happen.”
Patel, whose past roles include federal prosecutor, public defender, National Security Council staffer, and chief of staff to the acting Secretary of Defense, has called The Atlantic’s report “categorically false.” He filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine this week after it reported that he “is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication” at private clubs in Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas, Nevada. The article, citing several officials, alleged that his drinking “has been a recurring source of concern across the government,” including among his security detail who struggled to rouse him in the morning due to intoxication.
Patel's History Under Scrutiny
Despite his denials, Patel’s history includes a widely circulated video earlier this year showing him chugging beer in the U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team locker room after winning gold at the Winter Olympics in Italy. Patel, an avid hockey fan and coach, faced criticism for using the FBI’s jet for the trip, though a spokesperson noted he is required by law to travel on government aircraft.
Erica Knight, a frequent spokesperson for Patel, called the reporting on his past arrests an “attack” that was “nothing more than an attempt to undermine a process that has already deemed him suitable to serve and a distraction to the record-breaking success of the FBI under Director Patel.” She added, “Kash’s entire background was thoroughly examined and vetted prior to him assuming this role.”
