Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limit all rights reserved. Sadie Gurman, The Wall Street Journal 4 min Read 16 Sept 2025, 09:27 AM IST Some FBI officials say Patel sent the bureau in a jumble and is more concerned about his public persona and the benefits of the office than he oversees the daily operations. (AP) SUMMARY The Trump -Almighting defended his work on the investigation into the Shirk shooting in Charlie Kirk before the congressional appearances. In the days since arresting authorities Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin, FBI Director Kash Patel posted a news coverage on the case, knotted on television and emphasized other people’s posts over President Trump. He appeared on Fox News’ morning program as well as Sean Hannity’s prime time slot on Monday. He named the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s muscle and credited his boots-on-the-ground approach to speed up an arrest. “We – I – made the operational decision to release improved videos and photos from the suspect because the operational call I made for the FBI said, we are about to smoke this man,” Patel told Hannity. Patel has never been ashamed of the build-up of his own brand, but his offensive of public relationships highlights a new urgency for a top law enforcement officer on the hot seat for handling the role of the FBI in the investigation. Internally, he obtained fresh criticism of agents who were already skeptical about him. Online has started some conservative influencers to raise questions about his leadership. And start Tuesday, he will face two days of questions about Capitol Hill of legislators to push him on the matter and his tenure of seven months. “There is a lot for him to answer when he comes to testify,” Sen said. Adam Schiff (D., California), said in a video recording he posted online. Patel, a former prosecutor-driven political operator, shot back on X on Monday afternoon, saying: “Let’s find out who supports law enforcement … and who supports the police dissolution.” Some current and former FBI officials say Patel has sent the bureau in a mess and is more concerned about his public persona and the benefits of office than he oversees the daily activities. The view among Patel’s internal critics that he was not hardened last week when he told his 1.8 million X followers that a suspect was caught in the Kirk shooting, the hope of a quick arrest raised, just to say back about two hours later after being questioned. “Could I have worded it a little better in the heat of the moment? Of course, ‘said Patel on Fox News on Monday morning. “But am I regret to put it out? Absolutely not. I told the world what the FBI is doing … and I challenge someone out there to find a director that was more transparent. ” Last Thursday, Patel, with an increasing pressure to catch Kirk’s killer, faced a conference call in agents involved in the Utah Manhunt, saying that they had not given him information in time, including a photo of the suspect, according to people who were familiar with the call. He flew to the scene that afternoon and appeared at an evening conference with an assault jacket. On a Friday briefing in which Governor Utah, Spencer Cox, announced the arrest of suspect Tyler Robinson, Patel followed with comments that the role of the FBI and Trump thanked for his support. Just the view of the Head of the FBI at a news conference on a mainly local crime was unusual, the current and former officials said. Past directors generally left the announcements to lower -level supervisors who are closer to the investigation, and are largely out of the spotlight. “He has no background, skill, ability or suitability to be the FBI director, it’s just as simple,” said one former senior FBI official, Christopher O’Leary. Even some conservative activists find the performance disturbing. One, Christopher Rufo, questioned whether a Patel-led FBI “The operational expertise has to infiltrate and disrupt the violent movement-of whatever ideology investigates and disrupts the peace in the United States.” The White House Director of Communications, Steven Cheung, has accused those who question Patel’s ability to “use this extremely sad moment in a disgusting act of political game.” Trump praised Patel’s handling of the Kirk investigation in public, but the support for him in the administration was more mixed, people who are familiar with the matter said. Last month, Missouri’s attorney General Withuis Andrew Bailey tapped to share the position of deputy director with former conservative podcaster Dan Bongino, an unusual step that interpreted a lot in government as a recognition that needs the bureau. The Kirk shooting came after a recent purification of veteran agents in the bureau, above retirement and other rooms that cost the bureau decades’ experience in counter -intelligence, terrorism and other criminal affairs. Patel has withdrawn hundreds of agents from their normal duties to help with the Trump administration’s priority of immigration enforcement, in which the FBI has played historically little to no role. He also drew agents into suppression of violent crime that was normally the work of the local police. Some agents privately expressed concern that the recalibration left them less well prepared to confront and prevent terrorism and other threats to national security and preventing the core of the Bureau’s mission, which rejected a FBI spokesman. Shortly before the shooting Wednesday, three of the proposed officials sued Patel, claiming that they were fired last month of a ‘retaliation’ campaign for their ‘failure to show sufficient political loyalty’. Write to Sadie Gurman on sadie.gurman@wsj.com, catch all the business news, market news, news reports and latest news updates on live mint. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates. More Topics #Charlie Kirk Read Next Story
Kash Patel, director of the FBI, is on the hot seat – and eager to fight back
