Some colleagues of Kash Patel, the highly contested director of the federal police, fear that his behavior is becoming a “threat to public safety.”
Frequent outbursts, postponed meetings due to blatant drunkenness, explosive and unpredictable behavior, misguided and irresponsible decisions… In the United States, FBI Director Kash Patel is in turmoil after revelations from the American media outlet The Atlantist in an investigation published on April 17. The report, relying on numerous anonymous sources, details the erratic behavior of the head of the prestigious intelligence agency, who took over at the beginning of 2025.
Considered a weighty ally within the Trump administration and loyal to the American president, the FBI director had previously been in charge of national security during the first term of the head of state. His first year at the helm of the main federal law enforcement and domestic intelligence agency was marked by numerous controversies regarding his management of the organization. Kash Patel’s frequent episodes of drunkenness reported by the American media are likely not helping the rumors of his possible dismissal, which have been circulating since the beginning of the month.
“Patel was unreachable”
In detail, the investigative report quotes several well-placed sources at the White House who are concerned about the “alcohol consumption of Patel,” well known “within the government.” According to these sources, Patel “was known to drink to the point of drunkenness, especially at the private club Ned’s in Washington, in the presence of White House members and other administration officials.” His team also had difficulty waking up the agency director, who employs more than 38,000 people, as he was intoxicated. “A request for lock-picking equipment – generally used by intervention and hostage rescue teams to quickly enter buildings – was formulated last year because Patel was unreachable behind locked doors,” several officials told The Atlantist.
The newspaper particularly recounts an emblematic episode of the director of the FBI’s frequent outbursts of anger, believing he was on the verge of being ousted by Donald Trump almost every day. As he was about to leave his office on April 10, Patel struggled to connect to the IT service. “Convinced he was blocked, he panicked and practically called his colleagues and allies to announce that he had been fired by the White House, according to nine people familiar with his actions. Two of them described his behavior as a ‘nervous breakdown,'” the newspaper wrote, even though the anomaly was ultimately simply related to a technical error.
“Some of Patel’s colleagues at the FBI fear that his personal behavior may become a threat to public safety,” officials warn. They are concerned about the “consequences of a possible terrorist attack on American soil during Patel’s tenure, and their fears have been significantly heightened since Trump launched his military campaign against Iran,” expressing concerns about his lack of skills.
Contacted by The Atlantist, Kash Patel vehemently denied the accusations against him. “Everything is false, I’ll see you in court – bring your checkbook,” the FBI responded in a statement attributed to Patel.
Highly controversial
The head of the American federal police has been embroiled in turmoil on several occasions. Last July, the Department of Justice and the FBI announced that they had not discovered any new information justifying the release of additional documents on Jeffrey Epstein, the sex offender who died in prison in 2019, causing anger among those hoping for sensational revelations.
Kash Patel also appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House of Representatives after the murder of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk in September 2025, during which he loudly declared that the presumed author of the “atrocious murder” was in custody, bypassing local authorities before that suspect was ultimately cleared and released. Kash Patel’s authority had also been shaken by a civil complaint, in which three former FBI executives fired in August accused him of “politicizing” the agency to please his superiors, including Donald Trump.
