FBI Director Kash Patel Slammed as ’Insecure’ and ‘In Over His Head’ in Scathing Report from Current and Former Agents

FBI Director Kash Patel is facing sharp internal criticism in a report compiled by an anonymous group of current and former bureau personnel, who scrutinized his leadership during his first six months on the job.

Described as a “pulse check” on Patel’s tenure from Feb. 21 to Aug. 21, the report — first obtained by the New York Post and detailed by The Daily Beast — portrays an FBI that is “chronically under-performing” and concludes that the findings are “discouraging,” according to those outlets.

The document is expected to be delivered to senior members of the House and Senate judiciary committees this week, The Daily Beast reported. It arrives shortly after speculation that Patel might be on his way out, with MS NOW reporting in late November that President Donald Trump was considering replacing him — a claim the White House has denied.

According to the report, many agents say the bureau has been “paralyzed by fear” under Patel’s leadership. One respondent said agents are “afraid to say anything” and are “keeping their heads down” out of concern they could be fired.

Some sources expressed worry about being pushed out, while others questioned whether Patel is suited for the job at all. Two respondents said the director was “in over his head,” with one arguing he “lacks the requisite knowledge and deep understanding” needed to lead the FBI.

Another source characterized Patel as “not very good” and suggested he “may be insecure.” One agent also doubted whether Patel and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino are prepared to “deal effectively with top-tier threats facing the country.”

Both Patel and Bongino drew criticism for their social media use. Although the survey did not specifically ask about the issue, respondents volunteered concerns about the pair’s frequent online posting. One person said “enough is enough,” adding that Patel and his deputy need to “stop talking, stop posting, and just be professional.”

Another respondent, who called FBI leadership “dismal,” complained that top officials are “spending too much time on social media and public relations,” accusing them of focusing on “building (their own) personal resumes” instead of the bureau’s core mission.

The report also catalogues several “notable incidents” under Patel’s leadership. In one account, an FBI veteran identified as ALPHA 95 — with more than 20 years at the bureau — said Patel became upset after learning that personnel had privately discussed his request for an FBI-issued firearm, with some supporting it, others opposing it and some indifferent.

According to ALPHA 95, those involved in the conversation were ordered to take a polygraph exam “to determine their involvement in the discussion,” a move the veteran described as “punitive.”

In another episode, the report says Patel insisted on wearing an FBI raid jacket when he landed in Utah on Sept. 11, the day after Charlie Kirk was assassinated. ALPHA 99, a decades-long bureau employee, said agents already working intensely on the case had to stop what they were doing to find a medium-sized jacket for Patel, even though several large and extra-large jackets were readily available.

A female agent ultimately loaned Patel her jacket, but he then refused to exit the aircraft after noticing two areas without Velcro panels and demanded they be covered with patches. Patel finally disembarked only after members of an FBI SWAT team removed patches from their own uniforms and attached them to the jacket.

Not every assessment in the document was negative. One agent called Patel “very personable and likable,” while another praised his efforts to refocus the bureau’s work, saying that “case work and threats are now the priority” and that “even most of those assigned to FBI headquarters who are being kicked back out to the field acknowledge the re-prioritization is a positive move.”

The anonymous authors stressed that the report “was never intended to be a hit piece in any way, shape or form,” according to the Post, but said the “anecdotal reporting from FBI personnel skewed 80/20 negative.”

They added that respondents want Patel and the FBI to succeed “for the Greater Good and the Nation,” but argued that “redemption and resurrection of this proud agency will never be achieved unless there is full transparency … to expose critical cultural and operational deficiencies.”

Patel has not publicly commented on the survey. Bongino, however, appeared to address it in a post on X on Monday, Dec. 1.

“A LOT of people are very upset at the changes and reforms we’ve made at the FBI. They will do anything to revert to the old ways of doing things. So they leak gossipy nonsense to media outlets and ‘journalists’ with a clear agenda, and they ignore the historic results and the significant reforms we instituted,” he wrote.

“Judge the results. I work for you, not for headlines,” Bongino added. “Thanks for your support during my time in the FBI, I really appreciate it.”