FBI Director Kash Patel is reportedly grappling with increasing paranoia about potentially losing his job, a situation that has led to excessive alcohol consumption and raised alarms among Washington officials.
In an investigative report released by the Atlantic magazine, troubling claims were made about Patel’s behavior, prompting him to threaten legal action against what he describes as ‘false reporting’.
The report outlines incidents where Patel’s alleged heavy drinking impaired his ability to attend meetings on time, as security personnel struggled to wake him.
In a particularly concerning episode, staff members allegedly contemplated using ‘breaching equipment’ typically reserved for SWAT raids to access his room, according to details shared by the Atlantic.
Patel is known for his fondness for alcohol, often spotted visibly inebriated at social venues around Washington and Las Vegas, his hometown.
His partying exploits reportedly didn’t sit well with the president either; he was previously filmed enthusiastically downing beer with the US men’s hockey team after their Olympic triumph, drawing presidential disapproval.
But colleagues reportedly say his conduct has become erratic amid an increased paranoia he is set to be replaced.
Just last week, Patel allegedly spiraled into a nervous breakdown after mistakenly believing he had been fired due to a technical issue that left him locked out of a system.
The Atlantic magazine published a report Friday alleging that officials are alarmed over FBI Director Kash Patel’s alleged excessive drinking
The report claims that Patel has grown ‘deeply paranoid’ over being fired by the Trump administration
Fearing he was about to be fired by the Trump administration, he allegedly called aides and allies in panic – a reaction that, according to the Atlantic’s report, quickly reached the White House.
Officials told the outlet they are increasingly alarmed about whether the FBI could respond to a national crisis like a terror attack with Patel at the helm.
‘That’s what keeps me up at night,’ an unnamed official told the publication.
Patel has staunchly denied the Atlantic’s claims and threatened to sue the outlet and its reporter, Sarah Fitzpatrick.
In a post on X, Patel shared a screenshot of an email from FBI communications official Benjamin Williamson to Fitzpatrick, which described the article as ‘completely false and nearly 100 percent clip.’
The email read: ‘Top to bottom, this is one of the most absurd things I’ve ever read. Completely false and nearly 100% clip. And with a two hour deadline.’
‘See you and your entire entourage of false reporting in court,’ Patel captioned his Friday post.
‘But do keep at it with the fake news, actual malice standard is now what some would call a legal lay up,’ he added.
Patel threatened legal action against the publication and its reporter, Sarah Fitzpatrick
The Atlantic’s report alleges that, early in his tenure leading the bureau, meetings were sometimes rescheduled later in the day to accommodate what it describes as Patel’s alleged ‘nighttime drinking’ habits.
Both FBI officials and members of the Trump administration have raised concerns about whether alcohol may have played a role in alleged missteps by Patel, pointing to the aftermath of the shooting of Charlie Kirk.
Hours after the killing of the conservative activist in September 2025, Patel took to X to announce that the ‘subject’ in Kirk’s murder was finally ‘in custody.’
But shortly after, he walked back his earlier statement, announcing that the suspect ‘has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement.’ A different suspect, Tyler Robinson, was later arrested.
Two sources with knowledge of his movements revealed that he was actually in New York City that evening, dining at Rao’s – the high-end Italian hotspot that opens at 7pm promptly, as reported by NBC News.
