"Just after 6 p.m. last Wednesday, FBI director Kash Patel said on X that he was praying for the family of Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in Utah hours earlier. Many expected Patel to fly to the scene of the shooting to lead the hunt for the suspect who had killed his friend. Instead, he was reportedly seated at Rao's, the exclusive East Harlem Italian restaurant once favored by wiseguys."
"The next morning, he posted again on X, wrongly announcing that the suspect had been caught. Less than two hours later, Patel had to walk back his claim. In a press conference on Thursday, he praised law enforcement for its response - "This is what happens when you let good cops be cops" - without acknowledging that the suspect was found because his own father turned him in."
"Patel, the loyalist Donald Trump picked to run the FBI in his second term, prides himself on making his voice heard on social media and television; as a die-hard pro-Trump podcaster during the Biden years, he learned the importance of appeasing the president in public settings. But the mistakes he made in the aftermath of Kirk's death have elevated the pressure on the FBI director who has been accused of politicizing the bureau and compromising its ability to act."
FBI director Kash Patel publicly expressed condolences on X after Charlie Kirk's assassination but was reported to be dining at Rao's instead of leading the response. The next morning Patel incorrectly announced the suspect had been caught and later retracted the claim. At a press conference he praised law enforcement while not noting that the suspect was located after his father turned him in. Patel, appointed by Donald Trump, emphasizes a high-profile social-media presence. Critics and law-enforcement officials say his errors have amplified concerns about politicizing the bureau and undermining his leadership; former staffers have filed a lawsuit alleging illegal firings.
Read at Intelligencer
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