Kash Patel and the FBI have been swamped for months. Some think a change in leadership is in order.
And now the White House responded to FBI resignation rumors.
White House Slams Report on Potential Patel Ouster
The Trump White House delivered a swift and fiery rebuttal Tuesday to an explosive MS NOW exclusive claiming President Donald Trump is actively weighing the removal of controversial FBI Director Kash Patel.
The MS NOW Bombshell and Oval Office Pushback
Citing three anonymous sources, MS NOW reported that Trump and senior aides have grown “increasingly frustrated by the unflattering headlines Patel has recently generated,” including scrutiny over his girlfriend’s security detail, use of a government jet, and public clashes with other Trump loyalists.
The outlet claimed the president is eyeing top FBI official Andrew Bailey—who only joined the bureau in August—as a possible replacement.
“Patel is described as being on thin ice, and his ouster appears closer than ever, with Bailey as the logical replacement,” the report stated, though it noted Trump “could change his mind in the weeks to come.”
Within hours, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt branded the entire story “Fake News” on X, posting a real-time account from inside the Oval Office:
“This story is completely made up. In fact, when this Fake News published, I was in the Oval Office, where President Trump was meeting with his law enforcement team, including FBI Director Kash Patel.
I read the headline to the President and he laughed. He said: ‘What? That’s totally false. Come on Kash, let’s take a picture to show them you’re doing a great job!’
Do not believe the Fake News!”
Leavitt attached a fresh photo of a smiling Trump and Patel together.
MS NOW Stands Firm Amid Denials
Undeterred, MS NOW correspondent Ken Dilanian appeared on air shortly after Leavitt’s post and stood by the reporting. Joking with anchor Katy Tur, he quipped: “I said in the last hour that we may have enhanced Kash Patel’s job security by reporting this story. And that seems to be playing out.”
Dilanian revealed he had received immediate text messages from FBI sources insisting he was “spot on,” while noting the procedural hurdle: Bailey must clear a 90-day federal service threshold before he could even be nominated under the vacancies law.
“And, so, look, it’s anybody’s guess how this is all going to play out,” Dilanian concluded, “but it is absolutely our reporting that, of course, [Attorney General] Pam Bondi and [Deputy Attorney General] Todd Blanche, but also the White House and Donald Trump have grown annoyed with the bad press that Patel has been racking up.”
