Sean Hannity Blasted After Gushing Over Embattled Kash Patel's 'Incredible Job' as FBI Director: 'Wonder If Savannah Guthrie Thinks That'

Fox News host Sean Hannity was blasted after he publicly praised embattled FBI Director Kash Patel, telling him, "Obviously, you're doing an incredible job.”

The interview took place on Monday, May 18, hours after a fatal shooting at a San Diego mosque. Hannity asked Patel about increased security demands at churches and synagogues.

The interview aired amid intense scrutiny surrounding Patel's tenure as FBI director.

During the segment, Hannity and Patel discussed the security environment surrounding religious institutions and law enforcement.

“Americans deserve law and order and safety and security,” Hannity replied. “Obviously, you’re doing an incredible job. The numbers do speak for themselves.”

Patel used the appearance to tout the Trump administration's law enforcement record, highlighting high-profile arrests of global terrorists and fugitives, a claim that has been described as dubious at best.

FBI insiders have accused Patel of "padding the stats" to inflate the bureau's success metrics artificially. According to MS NOW reporting, current and former law enforcement officials allege the bureau altered its counting methods and manipulated public tools to exaggerate its accomplishments amid intense congressional scrutiny.

Hannity's defense arrived while the FBI Director is navigating several severe controversies, including a highly critical report by The Atlantic, which alleged that Patel's recurring, excessive drinking led to rescheduled morning briefings and instances where his security detail struggled to wake him.

The report also claimed Patel panicked and thought he had been fired when he was briefly locked out of an FBI computer system. Patel responded by initiating a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the publication.

Patel faces bipartisan scrutiny regarding his jet-setting lifestyle, including a controversial taxpayer-funded trip to Milan, where he was filmed drinking and celebrating with the U.S. men’s hockey team after their gold medal win.

He was previously forced to deny claims that he leveraged the FBI to target and investigate a New York Times reporter who published an unflattering article about his country singer girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins.

The Times doubled down, reporting that he used a government-funded FBI jet to fly to Philadelphia to attend a George Strait and Chris Stapleton concert with Wilkins.

Government emails revealed that Patel also participated in a controversial "VIP snorkel" session around the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor.

The highly restricted excursion, essentially around a tomb of over 900 sailors and marines who perished there, which ordinarily prohibits tourists, has drawn public scrutiny and scorn.

The on-air support drew sharp criticism from viewers and media analysts, who slammed Hannity for "cozying up" to an embattled official amid internal bureau reports of operational chaos, absenteeism and rumors of an imminent firing.

"He’s doing an incredible job embarrassing the USA," quipped one critic on X.

"I'll drink to that, Sean. No wait!" joked another, referring to Patel's penchant for imbibing.

"I wonder if Savannah Guthrie thinks Patel's FBI is doing a great job," said another, referring to the Today Show host's missing 84-year-old mother, Nancy.