Fellow conservatives question FBI chief’s qualification to head agency as he braces for Senate and House inquiry.
FBI Director Kash Patel is bracing for United States congressional scrutiny over his leadership of the investigation into the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, following early reported missteps, including his erroneous announcement on social media that “the subject” in the killing was in custody.
Patel is set to appear on Tuesday and Wednesday before the Senate and House judiciary committees, during which he is expected to answer questions not just about how the FBI handled the Kirk case, but also whether he can stabilise an agency fragmented by political fights and internal upheaval since his appointment, as toxic political divisions plague the nation.
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US President Donald Trump praised Patel on Saturday for the speed with which the bureau identified and captured Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson.
But that has not stopped criticism even from fellow conservatives, who have started to wonder if Patel is qualified to head the country’s top law enforcement body of 38,000 employees, including 13,000 agents.
In a statement posted on X on Friday, Christopher F Rufo, a fellow at the conservative think tank Manhattan Institute, wrote that it was “time for Republicans to assess whether Kash Patel is the right man to run the FBI”.
“He performed terribly in the last few days, and it’s not clear whether he has the operational expertise to investigate, infiltrate, and disrupt the violent movements — of whatever ideology — that threaten the peace in the United States,” he added.
“I’ve been on the phone the last few days with many conservative leaders, all of whom wholeheartedly support the Trump Administration and none of whom are confident that the current structure of the FBI is up to this task,” Rufo further said.
Conservative commentator Erick Erickson also weighed in, writing on X, “The FBI situation is concerning.”
An earlier report by The Guardian newspaper said Patel was also ridiculed by far-right groups for his “clumsy response” to Kirk’s killing.
The latest questions on Patel’s qualifications arose hours after Kirk’s killing.
While agents investigated, Patel posted on X: “The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody.” It turned out to be wrong. Patel soon after posted that the person in custody had been released.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, a Republican, described Patel’s misstep as “amateur hour” and questioned his professionalism.
As the search stretched on, Patel angrily vented to FBI personnel on Thursday about what he perceived as a failure to keep him informed, including that he was not quickly shown a photograph of the suspected shooter, according to The Associated Press news agency.
The day Kirk was killed, Patel also faced a lawsuit from three FBI senior executives fired in an August purge that they characterised as a Trump administration retribution campaign.
Among them was Brian Driscoll, who, as acting FBI director in the early days of the Trump administration, resisted Department of Justice demands for names of agents who investigated the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol.
Driscoll alleged in the lawsuit that he was let go after he challenged the leadership’s desire to terminate an FBI pilot who had been wrongly identified on social media as having been part of the agency’s search for classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
Patel is also facing other questions, including his pursuit of Trump’s grievances long after the Russia investigation ended, and a realignment of resources that has prioritised the fight against illegal immigration and street crime.
“Because of the scepticism that some members of the Senate have had and still have, it’s extremely important that he perform very well at these oversight hearings,” said Gregory Brower, the FBI’s former top congressional affairs official.
The FBI declined to comment on Patel’s coming testimony.
