My colleague Brad Slager wrote about a media report concerning allegations about FBI Director Kash Patel.
Brad pointed out a variety of issues with the allegations that they were trying to push against Patel.
READ MORE: The Press Serves Up ‘New’ Evidence That Patel Has a Drinking Problem, but It’s Low in Proof
The Atlantic’s Kash Patel Hit Piece Is Backfiring – Badly
But, on top of those points, it turns out there’s something else that’s a bit funny about the claim that Patel was about to get the boot.
NEW: A top White House official tells me that Kash Patel is likely the next Cabinet-level official to go.
“It’s only a matter of time,” the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, told me.
There are several reasons, the official said, but top among… pic.twitter.com/FUKftCuZNg
— Dasha Burns (@DashaBurns) April 25, 2026
NEW: A top White House official tells me that Kash Patel is likely the next Cabinet-level official to go.
“It’s only a matter of time,” the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, told me.
There are several reasons, the official said, but top among them is the number of negative stories centered on Patel is “not a good look for a Cabinet secretary,” and Trump is fed up with the level of distraction.
First, of course, it’s always an “anonymous source,” which tells you it’s not worth much.
But then there’s another issue there. Let’s let journalist Catherine Herridge point it out, with her trademark marker underlines.
FACT CHECK: @grok Is the FBI Director a “Cabinet-Level” position? https://t.co/XKH06TRf7Y pic.twitter.com/NYvy1OYesN
— Catherine Herridge (@C__Herridge) April 25, 2026
The FBI Director isn’t a Cabinet secretary or a Cabinet-level position. It’s an appointed term position, where the appointee can serve up to a ten-year term. The Attorney General is the Cabinet position, head of the Department of Justice. The FBI is part of the Department of Justice.
Then, wouldn’t an alleged “top White House official” know Patel was not a Cabinet member, and not say this is “not a good look for a Cabinet secretary”? And if the person is wrong about something like that, one has to think whatever else the person might have to say is a bit suspect.
Why does Politico’s White House bureau chief Dasha Burns not seem to know he’s not a Cabinet secretary? Sounds like a problem. But can we say this is why people don’t have a lot of confidence in the media when they put out things like this?
But in any event, the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt seemed to scotch that claim on Friday.
“The president does still have confidence in the FBI director and in our law and order team to do what they’ve been doing so well over the course of the last year and a half,” Leavitt told reporters at the White House on April 24 when asked about Trump’s view of Patel. She pointed to declining crime rates during Patel’s tenure.
That doesn’t sound like someone who’s about to get the boot. But at this point, we know the media will spread anything against the Trump administration.
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