Kash Patel looks on as he testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill (REUTERS)
Earlier this week, Sarah Fitzpatrick of The Atlantic reported that Patel had a brief ‘freak out’ episode this month after he was not able to access his internal compute system. He feared that he was fired. However, that was not the case. The issue was fixed.
“People close to the director have said that he himself has expressed that he believes that he is about to be fired or that is imminent,” Fitzpatrick told CNN on Friday. “This is widely, widely discussed, I think, within Washington, behind closed doors. In fact, there are senior administration officials who are openly discussing who will be the next FBI director.”
Read More: ‘Kash Patel has five weeks’: Bombshell firing claim follows FBI’s chief’s ‘freak off’ response
The report further cited sources to state that Patel has been seen intoxicated in several Washington venues.
Kash Patel’s latest threat to The Atlantic
Speaking on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Patel confirmed he plans to sue over the report, and suggested action could come immediately.
“So, you know what? They can beat their drums and stand next to toxic waste all they want, but that doesn’t make it toxic waste,” he began, before announcing: “And, Maria, I’m happy to announce on your show, that we are not going to take this laying down. You want to attack my character, come at me, bring it on. I’ll see you in court.”
When pressed further, Patel doubled down.
“Yes. Yes, I will, for defamation and because, you know what, Maria? We have to fight back against the fake news. It’s one of the many things that President Trump is so successful at in leading out on, because no one is attacked as baselessly and as much as he is. And our leaders that get attacked under his brilliant leadership must do the same.”
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‘Fake news mafia’
Patel, 46, also used the interview to defend his leadership of the FBI while echoing rhetoric often used by President Donald Trump against the media.
“So we’re going to get after the fight, and if the fake news mafia wants to, you know, ring their drum as loud as they can, they’re never going to stop me from completing the mission that President Trump asked me to do, which is safeguarding America. And we’re doing it better than ever before,” he vowed.
He added that a lawsuit was imminent, telling Bartiromo: “Absolutely. It’s coming tomorrow.”
In an X post, Patel had already threatened a lawsuit.
“Memo to the fake news – the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop. Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America safe again and taking down the criminals you love,” he tweeted.
