Trump shoots down rumors of firing FBI’s Kash Patel with Oval Office photo
The White House is forcefully rejecting a report from MS NOW claiming President Donald Trump is weighing whether to remove FBI Director Kash Patel. The administration called the story “completely made up” and moved quickly to show Patel is firmly in the president’s good graces.
White House responds
Now, Trump himself is pushing back. When asked aboard Air Force One Tuesday night whether he planned to replace Patel, Trump dismissed the idea outright.
“No,” he said. “He’s doing a good job. Kash Patel? No, he’s doing a great job, I think.”
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed that message earlier Tuesday on X , saying that she was physically in the Oval Office when the MS NOW story published, having a meeting with Trump, Patel and the president’s law-enforcement team. Leavitt said she read the headline aloud and Trump immediately laughed, calling it “totally false” before asking Patel to pose for a photo to prove it.
“Come on Kash, let’s take a picture to show them you’re doing a great job,” Trump said, according to Leavitt. The photo, showing the two men smiling with thumbs up, was posted minutes later.
MS NOW report
The MS NOW report, citing three unnamed individuals, said Trump and senior aides were frustrated by a string of negative headlines tied to Patel, including questions about his use of a government jet and security resources. The outlet also reported that Trump had discussed the possibility of replacing Patel with senior FBI official Andrew Bailey as early as mid-December.
This story is featured in today’s Unbiased Updates. Watch the full episode here.
The White House says none of that is true. Another spokesperson earlier told MS NOW that Patel is “a critical member of the president’s team” and is working to “restore integrity to the FBI.”
Patel has continued to appear publicly with the president. He attended Tuesday’s White House turkey pardon, where Trump praised him from the podium, saying Patel was “very busy doing a great job.”
The White House says his position is secure and that talk of a shake-up is simply “fake news.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
