FBI Director Kash Patel, already under fire over allegations of excessive drinking and erratic behavior, is likely the next Cabinet-level official to be ousted from the Trump administration, Politico reported on Saturday, citing a top White House official.
"It's only a matter of time," the official told Politico's Dasha Burns, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official cited the growing volume of negative press around Patel as the primary driver, saying the headlines were simply "not a good look for a Cabinet secretary," and that Trump was "fed up with the level of distraction."
What Triggered The Scrutiny
The storm around Patel began earlier this month when The Atlantic published a report, citing nine unnamed sources, claiming the FBI was in near-panic over his alleged erratic conduct on the job.
The report's most striking anecdote described Patel having a meltdown when he was locked out of an internal FBI computer system, reportedly convinced he had been fired — an incident he has flatly denied.
The Atlantic also cited sources claiming Patel had "bouts of excessive drinking," allegations he has called defamatory. Patel subsequently filed a $250 million lawsuit against the magazine.
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The controversy did not stop there. The Intercept later unearthed two prior alcohol-related arrests from Patel's past, incidents he himself had disclosed in a 2005 letter to the Florida Bar Association. One involved public intoxication, the other public urination.
Patel had already drawn attention in February when he was filmed celebrating in the US men's hockey team locker room at the Milan Olympics, visibly drinking and spraying beer, while Trump was on speakerphone with the athletes.
The Wider Cabinet Shakeup
Trump had already fired Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer in a recent purge, widely seen as an effort to reshape his Cabinet ahead of the November midterm elections. Patel's removal, if it comes, would be the latest in that wave.
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The White House, meanwhile, has publicly stood by Patel. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said he "remains a critical player on the administration's law and order team."
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