The White House dismissed a report claiming President Donald Trump plans to fire FBI Director Kash Patel. MS NOW reported that Trump might replace Patel with FBI co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey. The report linked the move to concerns about Patel’s social media posts and his use of a government jet to visit his girlfriend.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied the story on X. She said the report was “completely made up.”
Bailey, a former Missouri attorney general, has often been mentioned as a possible successor to Patel or fellow deputy Dan Bongino. Both deputies hold strong conservative profiles, which critics say overshadows their law enforcement experience.
The FBI has not commented on the report. Trump recently praised Patel in a Fox News Radio interview and said he still had “a lot of confidence” in him.
Patel’s conduct has drawn more attention in recent weeks. Reports said he used government aircraft to visit country singer Alexis Wilkins, who is his girlfriend. He also took a golf trip using the same aircraft. Patel said he needs secure communication access at all times, which justifies the travel.
Legal experts criticised him for posting details about active cases on social media. His posts appeared during the search for the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk and during a suspected Halloween terror plot in Michigan.
