The White House on Tuesday dismissed as completely fabricated a report that claimed US President Donald Trump was considering firing Kash Patel as FBI director in the coming months.
According to an MS Now report, which cited three people without naming them, the president and his top aides are increasingly frustrated with the unflattering headlines that Kash Patel has been making lately.
The report claimed that Patel had come under scrutiny for his management of the agency’s resources, including his girlfriend’s security detail.
However, in response to the report, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt shared a photo of Kash Patel and Donald Trump, saying the story was completely fabricated.
“In fact, when this fake news was released, I was in the Oval Office where President Trump was meeting with his law enforcement team, including FBI Director Kash Patel.”
Leavitt claimed that when she read the caption to the president, he laughed and said, “What? That’s totally fake. Come on, Kashi, let’s take a picture to show them you’re doing a great job!”
“Don’t believe the fake news!” she added.
In September, Trump praised Kash Patel for his swift action in arresting the gunman involved in the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
“I’m very proud of the FBI. Kash — and everyone else — did a great job,” Trump said.
The MS Now report also claimed that top FBI official Andrew Bailey is being considered as a logical replacement.
Bailey served as a distinguished attorney general for Missouri and is a decorated war veteran.
In August, the Trump administration appointed Bailey to the new post of co-deputy director of the FBI alongside Dan Bongino.
After Bailey’s appointment, Patel said Bailey would be an “integral part” of the agency’s mission.
Earlier this month, the FBI Agents Association criticized Kash Patel after the bureau fired, fired and then re-fired several FBI agents who worked on cases targeting US President Donald Trump or his allies.
“Director Patel has disregarded the law and launched a campaign of incalculable and arbitrary retaliation,” the association said in a statement.
