The more we learn about FBI Director Kash Patel, the more concerned we should be about our nation’s security. Even before Patel took office, there were deep concerns about his truthfulness and his perceived blind loyalty to President Donald Trump, and there were reports of an apparent blacklist of people he might target for revenge. Those concerns remain, but now, about 80 days into his tenure, Patel is also looking like an absent, uninterested leader.
Patel’s pathetic performance wasn’t a ‘dog ate my homework’ excuse; it was an ‘I didn’t want to do the homework’ defiance.
Patel testified before a House of Representatives panel Wednesday without a fiscal year 2026 budget proposal, which was overdue. Nevertheless, and without offering details, he told the lawmakers before him that the FBI needs $1 billion more than the current budget to carry out its mission. Patel might be right that the FBI needs more resources. The problem was that his answer clashed with Trump’s plan to slash $1 billion from the bureau’s budget.
Within 24 hours Patel changed his position, in apparent subservience to the man who appointed him. So much for an objective FBI director. On Thursday, Patel appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee, which decides how, or even if, the FBI will be funded. Patel acknowledged his budget was more than a week overdue. Yet he showed up empty-handed and said he hadn’t even reviewed a proposal yet.
Patel’s pathetic performance wasn’t a “dog ate my homework” excuse; it was an “I didn’t want to do the homework” defiance. His stance illustrated disdain for the oversight process, and he was defensive when confronted with his own incompetence. When the Senate committee questioned his about-face, that is, his willingness to see the FBI’s funding reduced to the lowest level in 14 years, Patel conceded he didn’t know what he’d have to cut at the FBI to meet Trump’s demand.
Patel’s lack of basic preparation left Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the committee’s vice chair, flabbergasted and wondering out loud if Patel realized his failure to prepare could mean the FBI might have no budget at all.
Two back-to-back disastrous performances on Capitol Hill should be enough by itself to make a president rethink his choice of FBI director. Yet the week wasn’t over for Patel. On Friday, NBC News reported concerns that the beleaguered director isn’t taking his job seriously enough. The report quotes Stacey Young, a former Department of Justice lawyer, who said, “There’s a growing sense among the ranks that there’s a leadership void.” She also said there’s a perception “that the highest echelons of the bureau are more concerned about currying favor with the president, retribution and leaks than the actual work.”
The report goes on to detail concerns that a decadeslong practice of the director receiving daily morning briefings has been reduced to twice a week, and the practice of weekly video conferences with field office leaders has been eliminated. From the NBC News article:
“Officials who worked on the morning director’s briefings were told that the schedule was changed because Patel sometimes failed to arrive on time, said two current and two former FBI and Justice Department officials familiar with the matter. So now they cut the briefing from five days a week to only two days, Tuesday and Thursday. And even that has been a struggle.”
An FBI spokesman acknowledged a reduction in 8:30 a.m. director’s briefings but said Patel still attends five morning meetings each week — including three that are smaller than the director’s brief. “This change was based on feedback from people in the Bureau — NOT the Director’s schedule or attendance,” spokesperson Ben Williamson said.
If the FBI director is having trouble showing up for briefings, then he might consider a little less non-bureau business.
If the FBI director is having trouble showing up for briefings, then he might consider a little less non-bureau business. Patel has reportedly been seen at sporting events, including hockey games, soccer matches and UFC fights. Flight records show he appears to have made trips to Nashville, where his girlfriend lives, and to Las Vegas, where he owns property. He’s also been seen hanging out with celebrities including actor Mel Gibson and hockey great Wayne Gretzky. Flight logs indicate that an FBI jet has been used for at least some of his travel — which, if he is a passenger, is reportedly required for security and communications reasons. Williamson declined to comment on whether six trips cited by NBC News involved work activities and said the new director is abiding by all FBI ethics rules.
If those reports of travel aren’t bad enough, by some accounts, Patel appears to be bored and disengaged. NBC News reports that “two current FBI officials said Patel sometimes seemed uninterested in the material and his intelligence briefers are struggling to craft a briefing that captures his attention.”
Patel has his defenders. A longtime friend said, “The only thing he’s doing late into the night is going to the gym,” and an FBI official, who like the friend spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the idea that he’s uninterested in briefings is “not remotely true” and that he “asks tons of questions and pushes staff to get to the point and present solutions.” That person described Patel as being “efficient with time.”
I’ve served as an FBI assistant director and participated in countless director’s briefings. The job of director requires 24/7 vigilance and daily oversight of the most imminent threats to our nation. That kind of vigilance doesn’t happen at hockey games, UFC fights or celebrity hobnobs. It happens when leadership is plugged in, prepared and accountable. So far, Patel appears to be none of those things. Our country deserves better.
