White House officials are said to be privately discussing who might succeed Kash Patel as FBI Director, according to reports emerging in the wake of a damaging profile published by The Atlantic that alleges erratic behaviour and a persistent drinking problem within the bureau’s senior leadership.
The piece, written by journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick, paints a troubling picture of Patel’s conduct since taking charge of the agency. Multiple current and former officials cited in the report described him as “erratic, suspicious of others, and prone to jumping to conclusions without sufficient evidence.” Several sources also claimed his drinking had become “a recurring issue across the government,” with allegations that he had been seen intoxicated at venues across Washington DC, sometimes in the company of administration staff. Officials further alleged that certain internal FBI meetings had been rescheduled following late nights out, and that security personnel had on occasion been unable to reach him.
Among the more striking claims is that Patel briefly convinced himself he had been dismissed from his post after encountering a routine login failure on an internal FBI system. According to The Atlantic’s sources, he contacted aides and associates to say he believed the White House had fired him, with two individuals describing his reaction as a “freak-out.” The issue was subsequently identified as a technical fault and resolved without incident, though the episode reportedly added to broader anxieties within the bureau about his leadership. The report noted that Patel had expressed repeated concern that his position “is in jeopardy,” a fear said to have intensified following President Trump’s dismissal of both Kristi Noem and Tulsi Gabbard from senior roles.
Patel has rejected the article in its entirety. His FBI spokesperson, Erica Knight, called the report “fabricated” and confirmed legal proceedings were being initiated. Patel himself posted on X that those responsible should expect to see him “in court,” while his attorney, Jesse Binnall, wrote formally to The Atlantic describing most of its “substantive claims” as “false, unsourced, and facially defamatory.”
Fitzpatrick has declined to retreat from her reporting, saying she stands “by every word” and that the publication has “excellent attorneys” to handle any legal challenge.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt offered public support for Patel in the interim, crediting both him and the President for a notable reduction in national crime rates.
Patel’s girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, did not address the allegations directly but shared a post on social media arguing that Russian and foreign-linked accounts were actively working to stoke outrage among American audiences through disinformation campaigns — a point she appeared to raise in the context of broader media scrutiny facing administration figures.
