PoliticsKash Patel Shredded by Former FBI Agents for His Questionable Leadership
FBI Director Kash Patel is under the microscope as former agents shred his preoccupation with his own image and lack of focus.
March 17 2026, Published 9:55 a.m. ET
Amid President Donald Trump’s escalating war in Iran, the FBI under Director Kash Patel has been shredded by former agents for, among other things, the firing of experienced intelligence staff and the incompetent management of domestic security threats.
Following the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war, reports highlighted several violent incidents in the U.S. that sparked concerns about Iranian sleeper cells or lone-wolf attacks: an Austin, Texas, bar shooting, explosives placed outside the mayor’s residence in New York City, a Michigan synagogue attack and a deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia.
A former bureau agent told New York Post conservative journalist Miranda Devine that those incidents should have prompted Patel, 46, to urgently review the FBI’s monitoring efforts.
Kash Patel Under Fire
Kash Patel has been accused of being distracted from his job.
“The FBI should be directly questioned on these matters on their prior knowledge and applicable actions,” they said. “If not, then this violence will continue to happen and intensify.”
Another agent told Devine they wondered if the FBI agents “were actually aware and engaged on any level, even in the current elevated threat environment.”
A third agent blasted Patel for being uninvolved and distracted, saying, “It is a zero-sum situation,” they said. “When people are being redirected away from their primary national security duties, some things are bound to be missed.”
Kash Patel's Team Fires Back
Kash Patel's camp fired back at the accusations.
Devine noted that agents under Patel's lack of leadership have been demoralized.
“There are those who stayed on in hope of positive reform under the Trump administration who now express disappointment in what they regard as Patel’s unfocused leadership, preoccupation with his own image, and mercurial purges.”
The director's camp was not pleased with this assessment and fired back on social media.
“This banger of an article blames Kash Patel for a convicted terrorist who was released from prison under the previous administration,” FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson posted on X.
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Kash Patel reportedly fired a dozen or more FBI employees before the war on Iran.
Devine quickly retorted, saying, “No, it doesn’t,” kicking off a back-and-forth with Williamson, who posted, “You also attacked Patel for firing people who targeted the president and his staff — which is way worse.”
Just days before U.S. military operations against Iran began, Patel reportedly fired a dozen or more FBI employees, including top analysts and agents within the elite CI-12 counterintelligence unit specialized in monitoring threats from Iran.
The FBI Agents Association publicly rebuked Patel's actions as a "purge" that eroded trust, with critics calling him the "least qualified" person to lead the FBI.
Former and current FBI agents released a series of scathing assessments of his leadership, primarily through a 115-page report that characterized the Bureau as a "rudderless ship.”
Multiple veteran agents described Patel as being over his head and lacking the necessary experience and "deep understanding" required to lead the agency, with some calling him the "Make-a-Wish director.”
Kash Patel was recently seen signing autographs of himself.
Former agents criticized his use of government jets for personal travel and his decision to assign FBI SWAT teams to provide security for his girlfriend and her friends.
Most recently, the director was seen autographing photos of himself at an FBI UFC event in Quantico, Va.
Agents reported that retaliatory firings of experienced staff created an environment where employees were "paralyzed by fear" and afraid to perform their duties.
The FBI Agents Association and groups like "The Steady State" lambasted Patel for firing senior officials involved in investigations into Donald Trump, viewing these moves as an attempt to transform the Bureau into a political loyalty tool.
Fired agents stated that the "circle of trust" within the institution was broken due to Patel's focus on personal vendettas over the agency's mission.
