Is FBI Director Kash Patel On His Way Out? White House Denies Reports Amid Growing Controversies

FBI Director Kash Patel’s tenure appears increasingly precarious as reports emerged Tuesday that President Donald Trump is considering his removal, only to have the White House vehemently deny the story and stage a photo opportunity to demonstrate presidential support.

MS NOW reported Tuesday that Trump is “considering removing Kash Patel as FBI director in the coming months, as he and his top aides have grown increasingly frustrated by the unflattering headlines Patel has recently generated,” citing three people with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity.

According to the outlet, “Trump and White House aides have confided to allies that the president is eyeing removing Patel and is considering top FBI official Andrew Bailey as the bureau’s new director.”

Within hours, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a forceful denial. “This story is completely made up,” she wrote on X. “In fact, when this Fake News published, I was in the Oval Office, where President Trump was meeting with his law enforcement team, including FBI Director Kash Patel.”

Leavitt posted a photo (see above) showing Trump and Patel standing side-by-side in the Oval Office, both smiling and giving thumbs-up signs. She quoted Trump as saying: “What? That’s totally false. Come on Kash, let’s take a picture to show them you’re doing a great job!”

The Mounting Controversies

Whether or not Trump is actively considering Patel’s removal, the FBI director has faced a cascade of damaging stories in recent weeks that have drawn scrutiny from multiple quarters.

The Girlfriend’s Security Detail: MS NOW first reported on November 18 that Patel’s girlfriend, 27-year-old country singer Alexis Wilkins, has been assigned an FBI security detail comprised of elite SWAT team members based in Nashville, where she lives and works. The arrangement marks the first known instance of a girlfriend of a high-ranking FBI official receiving government-staffed security protection while not sharing a residence with their partner.

The FBI defended the decision, telling NBC News that “Ms. Wilkins is receiving a protective detail because she has faced hundreds of credible death threats related to her relationship with Director Patel.”

However, the security detail sparked outrage among Democratic lawmakers who say they have been denied similar protection despite receiving specific threats. Representative Eric Swalwell of California wrote on X: “I don’t want anything to happen to @FBIDirectorKash or his girlfriend. Protect her if she’s threatened. It’s just F’d up that he REFUSES to protect me and my kids from MULTIPLE specific death threats.”

Government Jet Usage: The Wall Street Journal “claimed Patel used the FBI director’s plane to make nine trips to Las Vegas and seven visits to Nashville, according to an analysis of flight records.”

Newsweek noted that Patel “has drawn internal criticism over his handling of bureau resources—including a government aircraft and security assigned to his girlfriend.”

Whether or not Trump is actively considering Patel’s removal, the FBI director has faced a cascade of damaging stories in recent weeks that have drawn scrutiny from multiple quarters.

The controversy carries added weight given that Patel had previously criticized his predecessor, Christopher Wray, for personal use of FBI aircraft. In 2023, Patel said on a podcast: “I want to ground Chris Wray’s private jet travel that he pays for with taxpayer dollars to hop around the country,” calling Wray a “government gangster.”

Premature Social Media Posts: MS NOW reported that “U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has been frustrated with both Patel and Dan Bongino, in particular over Patel’s untimely social media posts boasting prematurely about case breakthroughs, which sometimes threatened to jeopardize investigations.”

The New Republic reported that following the September assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Patel “prematurely announced on social media that the FBI had a ‘subject’ in custody—only to walk back the statement two hours later when Utah officials announced the shooter was still at large.” CNN reported that Patel later “lashed out at agents during an intense and expletive-ridden virtual video meeting.”

International Incidents: The Daily Beast reported that Patel “reportedly caused a security scare in New Zealand in the summer when he gifted ‘inoperable pistols’—Maverick PG22s, 3D-printed revolvers—to senior security officials.”

Formula 1 Optics: Patel was photographed at the Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix over the weekend “sitting in a pink toy Cadillac” alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to The Daily Beast. The image circulated widely on social media, with critics questioning whether the FBI director should be attending entertainment events during a period of intense scrutiny.

The Bailey Factor

MS NOW reported that Trump is considering Andrew Bailey, the FBI co-deputy director, as Patel’s potential replacement. Newsweek noted that “Bailey was made co-deputy director of the FBI by Trump in September, alongside Dan Bongino, amid concerns over the latter’s experience.”

Critically, Newsweek reported that “Trump could replace Patel with Bailey as acting director without the Senate’s permission, but only once he has served in his current role for 90 days. That date—December 15—is approaching.”

This timing has fueled speculation that Trump could make a move shortly after mid-December if he decides to act.

Public Shows of Support

Despite the MS NOW report, Trump has made several recent public statements backing Patel. On Tuesday at the annual White House turkey pardoning ceremony, Trump publicly commended Patel, saying he was “very busy doing a great job.” When several people applauded, the president added, “See, you’ve got a following, Kash,” according to news reports.

Last week, in an interview with Fox News Channel’s Brian Kilmeade, Trump said: “I do have confidence in Kash, a lot of confidence, and the DOJ.”

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement: “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 Touts Bureau’s Accomplishments

Patel himself has been vocal about the FBI’s work under his leadership. Speaking to reporter Catherine Herridge on Monday, Newsweek reported, Patel said: “Look at the work of this FBI to date. On the drug front, we’ve seized 1,900 kilograms of fentanyl. That is a 35 percent increase from year to date last year. That’s just the work of this FBI. We found 5,400 and identified 5,400 children, missing children. That is a 17 percent increase from this time, same time period last year.”

A Pattern of Controversy

Patel, 45, became the ninth Director of the FBI on February 20, 2025, after Trump dismissed Christopher Wray. His confirmation followed intense debate, with nearly two dozen former Republican government officials sending a letter to senators urging them to reject his nomination, according to Wikipedia.

The New York Times reported in March that Patel sent an internal email “directing the majority of the bureau’s field offices—with the exception of those in New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles—to report to branch directors rather than the deputy director.”

The outlet also reported that “in a February call with FBI officials, Patel proposed altering the bureau’s physical fitness test and partnering with Ultimate Fighting Championship, while saying he would shift his operations to Nevada, where he lives, and the West Coast. He expressed interest in joining the bureau’s hockey team.”

The Washington Post reported that “by March 2025, Patel was not at the bureau”—though he clearly returned, as evidenced by his continued public appearances and Tuesday’s Oval Office photo.

This story was aggregated by AI from several news reports and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk.