Many sources told Fox News FBI Director Kash Patel may be on borrowed time despite Trump support

Inside sources suggested that FBI Director Kash Patel could be operating on borrowed time as a new day began at the agency while he remained “under fire.”

Frustration over handling of the release of details pertaining to the Jeffrey Epstein case continued to loom large for the bureau’s top G-man as the seeds of distrust planted in the minds of some in the court of public opinion found new reasons to doubt his leadership amid communications bungles in the manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s assassin.

Now, as former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey was set to be sworn in as co-deputy FBI director alongside Dan Bongino Monday, 10 sources from within the federal government had conveyed to Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich that Patel’s leadership remained “under fire.”

“The White House, [Attorney General Pam] Bondi, [Deputy Attorney General Todd] Blanche have no confidence in Kash,” one source contended, adding, “Pam in particular cannot stand him. Blanche either.”

Heinrich’s report detailed that while Bondi and Blanche were said to have “denied the characterization” and White House officials denied the existence of plans to boot Patel from the agency, “… allies of President Trump and Patel’s harshest critics have begun to circulate word that contingency plans for Patel’s ouster are forming. They also claim his hopeful successor, Andrew Bailey, made clear that he would not leave his post as Missouri’s AG — or abandon his aspirations to run for state governor — only to serve as Patel’s number two.”

Sources suggested Patel would not be fired but rather, “He’ll get Billy Long-ed,” referencing how the former IRS Commissioner had accepted being nominated to be U.S. ambassador to Iceland. They’d also acknowledged Trump’s dissatisfaction with the manner disputes over handling the Jeffrey Epstein case happened publicly while a senior White House official suggested Patel likely regrets the way he handled releases on the search for Charlie Kirk’s assassin.

Of the manhunt in Utah for Kirk’s assassin, a source had expressed that Gov. Spencer Cox (R) had taken point in press briefings out of concern that “letting Kash talk much could f*ck up the prosecution” following a statement that claimed the suspect was in custody while the search had remained active.

Heinrich also noted that Patel was said to have made plans to visit Trump on Friday while the president was spending the weekend at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.

Countering the positions of anonymous sources, a number of statements suggested the opposite, included a joint statement from Bondi and Blanche to Fox that read, “We work with Director Patel every single day and fully support his leadership at the FBI. The suspect is in handcuffs today because of the outstanding work of Director Patel and our law enforcement partners. Any suggestion to the contrary does not reflect the reality of our strong working relationship and shared commitment to protecting the American people.”

“Director Patel and his team worked night and day to find this murderer and bring him to justice. Anyone who doubts his resolve and dedication — especially when Charlie was such a close friend to him- simply is using this extremely sad moment in a disgusting act of political gamesmanship,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung had said. “The focus was on catching this killer, and he will face the full wrath of the justice system.”

For his part, ahead of starting his new role at the FBI, Bailey told Fox, “Any suggestion that I was brought in to replace anyone in leadership at the FBI or spin my appointment into a sign of division, is simply false — I am honored to serve the FBI and Department of Justice as we work together to keep our nation safe.”

Likewise, the president himself had weighed in Saturday when he told Fox News Digital, “I’m very proud of the FBI. Kash — and everyone else — they have done a great job.”

Staff Writer

Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn’t researching current events and their impacts, you’ll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.

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