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‘Completely made up’: White House denies Trump plans to remove FBI chief Kash Patel
Karoline leavitt said that the Kash Patel story broke while Donald Trump was in the Oval Office meeting his law enforcement team, including the FBI chief.
The White House on Tuesday local time firmly rejected reports that President Donald Trump is considering removing FBI director Kash Patel, dismissing the claim amid growing scrutiny of Patel’s conduct.
The denial followed an MS NOW report that said Trump was weighing a plan to replace Patel with FBI co-deputy director Andrew Bailey. The outlet suggested the move was being discussed as questions mounted over Patel’s social media activity during sensitive investigations and his use of a government jet to visit his girlfriend.
Pushing back the rumour, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X, “This story is completely made up.”
She added that the story broke while Trump was in the Oval Office meeting his law enforcement team, including Patel. Leavitt said as she read the headline aloud to Trump, the president “laughed.”
Bailey, a former Missouri attorney general who has long been seen as a potential successor to Patel or fellow deputy Dan Bongino, has been viewed in Washington circles as a possible candidate-in-waiting.
Both Patel and Bongino are better known for their conservative political commentary than traditional law enforcement backgrounds, adding to the chatter around their roles.
Also Read | Who is Andrew Bailey? Top FBI official touted to replace Kash Patel amid firing reports
According to Bloomberg, the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment. MS NOW, however, said it stands by its reporting.
The renewed speculation comes even as Trump publicly praised Patel just last week. In an interview with Fox News Radio, the president said he had “a lot of confidence” in the FBI chief.
Growing scrutiny over Kash Patel
The New York Times reported that the FBI dispatched a SWAT team to provide protection for his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins.
Patel has also taken government jets to visit Wilkins and for personal trips, including a golf outing – travel he has defended as necessary to maintain access to secure communications equipment.
Legal experts have additionally flagged Patel’s habit of posting details about active investigations on social media.
These posts included commentary during the hunt for the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk and during what the bureau described as a planned Halloween terror attack in Michigan.
