Donald Trump is reportedly contemplating the dismissal of Kash Patel following a series of negative headlines concerning the FBI director and his relationship with a country music star.
Speculation regarding Patel’s conduct has persisted since his appointment, with allegations ranging from extravagant partying to utilizing a government aircraft to attend performances by his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins. There are even claims that he arranged a SWAT team for her protection.
According to an online report by MS NOW, citing three anonymous sources familiar with the matter, both Trump and his senior advisors have grown increasingly discontent with the adverse press Patel has attracted.
In discussions with allies, there are indications that Trump is considering removing Patel and is evaluating Andrew Bailey, a senior FBI official, as a potential successor.
Trump raised eyebrows when he appointed Bailey, the former Attorney General of Missouri, as a co-deputy director alongside Dan Bongino in September. This move came amid rumors that the former podcast host was also facing challenges.
To assume the role of acting director without requiring Senate confirmation, Bailey must serve in his current capacity for at least 90 days. This eligibility would be reached by December 15.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on X that the story about Trump’s frustration with Patel was ‘completely made up’ and posted a photo of them that she said was taken in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Leavitt said Trump and Patel were in a meeting when the report was published, and the president reacted to it by laughing and saying, ‘What? That’s totally false. Come on Kash, let’s take a picture to show them you’re doing a great job!’
Donald Trump is reportedly considering dumping Kash Patel after months of unflattering headlines involving the FBI director and his country star girlfriend
Trump and his top aides have grown increasingly frustrated by the unflattering headlines Patel has generated involving the FBI director and his country star girlfriend Alexis Wilkins (pictured left)
A spokesperson for MS NOW said the news organization stands behind its reporting which describes Patel as ‘on thin ice’ with the change potentially happening in the next few weeks.
When reached by The Daily Mail for comment, a spokesperson for the FBI declined comment.
Most recently, it was reported Patel was outraged when a SWAT team he assigned to watch his girlfriend ditched her as she performed the national anthem at a convention for the National Rifle Association.
The 45-year-old bureau head assigned an entire SWAT team from the agency’s Atlanta field office to shadow his 27-year-old girlfriend Alexis Wilkins at the NRA’s annual conference in April, The New York Times reports.
But when the agents saw that the event at the Georgia World Congress Center where she was to perform was secure and that Wilkins was in no apparent danger, they left before the event was over.
When Patel then found out what had happened, he allegedly ‘ripped’ into the team’s commander for leaving his girlfriend unprotected and slammed the agents’ dismissal as a ‘failure of the chain of command.’
It was not the first time Patel used his authority to grant his aspiring country singer girlfriend extra protection, either, as he also deployed ‘elite FBI agents’ who typically work with the Nashville office’s SWAT team to watch her in her home city.
Bureau officials also said agents from the tactical division in Salt Lake City, Utah were ordered to provide protective detail to Wilkins at an event in September – despite having just worked long hours following the nearby assassination of Charlie Kirk.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on X that the story was ‘completely made up’ and posted a photo of Trump and Patel that she said was taken in the Oval Office on Tuesday
The president is reportedly weighing removing Patel and considering top FBI official Andrew Bailey (pictured) as his replacement
Her new level of extensive and unusually frequent taxpayer-funded SWAT security is ‘highly unusual,’ current and former FBI officials have argued – noting that typically girlfriends and spouses of officials do not get that level of protection.
‘The assignment of SWAT-qualified agents to guard his girlfriend are indicative of his lack of leadership experience, judgment and humility,’ argued Christopher O’Leary, a former Marine and FBI agent who led a team that conducted ‘high-risk missions.’
Some have also argued that Wilkins does not face the threats necessary for this amount of attention, and that the agents assigned to protecting the singer could be kept from responding to more serious potential crimes.
In some instances, the agents received little notice before they were dispatched to protect Wilkins, the Times reports.
Agents who were dispatched to protect the country singer also told the outlet it was unclear whether they would be afforded any protection against civil liability like what other federal agents who might use deadly force as part of their official duties receive.
‘There is no legitimate justification for this. This is a clear abuse of position and misuse of government resources,’ former senior FBI agent Christopher O’Leary told MS Now earlier this month.
‘She is not his spouse, does not live in the same house or even the same city.’
Helen Wray, the wife of ex-FBI Director Christopher Wray, also noted she only received a security detail when she was traveling with her husband.
Patel was reportedly left outraged when a SWAT team he assigned to watch his girlfriend ditched her as she performed the national anthem at a convention for the National Rifle Association
Patel was alongside several Trump cabinet members at the Thanksgiving turkey pardon Tuesday
The bureau has also tried to defend its extensive protection for Wilkins, claiming she has faced a slew of death threats since their relationship was made public.
‘Ms. Wilkins is receiving a protective detail because she has faced hundreds of credible death threats related to her relationship with Director Patel, whom she has been dating for three years,’ a spokesperson told the Daily Mail.
‘Out of respect for her safety, we will not be providing additional details.’
Wilkins has gone public with some of the threats she has received online, sharing screengrabs on X which she said was just ‘a morning in my DMs.’
The comments include an Instagram response writing that ‘you should pray to christ and end your life! You’re better off in his hands than on this earth.’
‘You need to touch a bullet,’ wrote another.
‘Someone needs to kidnap her,’ added one more.
When reached for comment, the White House stood behind Patel without making any reference to Wilkins.
Agents said they determined that the event was secured and Wilkins was not in danger. She is pictured performing at the NRA convention
Wilkins has gone public with some of the abuse she’s taken from certain corners of the internet
‘FBI Director Patel is restoring integrity to the FBI and doing an excellent job implementing the President’s agenda,’ Abigail Jackson told the Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, Patel is also facing backlash for using his government jet to watch Wilkins perform.
It has since been revealed the FBI director also used the government plane to attend a golf outing in Scotland, in which FBI agents coordinated his transportation and security arrangements with Scottish and British authorities.
That included deploying an advance team and round the clock security personnel known as ‘ravens’ to guard his plane.
But Patel’s spokesperson, Ben Williamson, defended him, saying the dozens of trips Patel has made since he took office in February pale in comparison to the money spent by former FBI chiefs James Comey and Christopher Wray. He also claimed Patel pays a reimbursement in advance.
‘He’s allowed to take personal time on occasion to see family, friends or his longtime girlfriend. He doesn’t do it often,’ Williamson said.
But when then-Director Wray used the bureau’s jet for personal travel, Patel was one of his strongest critics.
In a 2023 interview, Patel even chided Wray by name, saying he did not need a ‘government-funded G5 to go on vacation.’
He then suggested ‘we ground that plane’ or charge ‘$15,000 each time it takes off.’
