This could in fact be. Or, there may be some reverse psychology at play here because one thing that you know that Donald Trump doesn’t want to do and that is admit that he made a mistake in nominating anybody for a post. If that wasn’t the case, then Pete Hegseth would already be history. In any event, MS NOW is reporting that Trump has had enough of the headlines and the hijinks and is looking to bop Patel.
MS NOW reported Tuesday that President Trump is considering firing the embattled director as his errors pile up. Three anonymous sources told MS NOW that Patel had drawn Trump’s ire for his presumptuous social media posts during ongoing cases, using a government jet for a date night with his 27-year-old girlfriend, and assigning a SWAT team for her security detail.
Andrew Bailey, the FBI co–deputy director, is reportedly Trump’s top choice to replace Patel.
The White House responded to the reports. “President Trump has assembled the most talented and impressive Administration in history and they are doing an excellent job carrying out the President’s agenda,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. “FBI Director Patel is a critical member of the President’s team and he is working tirelessly to restore integrity to the FBI.”
What did I tell you? Reverse psychology. MS NOW, in reporting what may be total fact, erred because Trump might be climbing the walls over Patel’s lack of judgement and how it reflects back on the Oval Office, but he’ll never want to admit it. MS NOW may have done Patel a real favor here, cementing him in his post in a way that no criticism of him ever could have done.
This isn’t the first time Patel’s FBI has witnessed rumors of internal upheaval. Just last month, Patel reportedly angered FBI leadership when he fired at least 30 bureau agents for being hostile to conservatism or Trump. And in October, he pissed off Trump and Justice Department officials by posting that the “FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack” on Halloween, despite the fact that no charges had been filed and local police didn’t have any details.
Back in July, deputy director and former MAGA podcaster Dan Bongino was so upset with how Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi handled the release of the Epstein files—from Bondi claiming that she had them on her desk to her then claiming the case was closed—that he skipped work, no call no show.
It seems clear that Patel is working on borrowed time. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that one of the most underqualified FBI leads in recent memory can’t seem to avoid these screw-ups.
Underqualified is one thing. Flagrant misuse of government funds to impress a lady friend is something else altogether. Patel is in love with his power and his ability to command resources and so he’s abusing both. Frankly, since that’s so Trumpian it’s amazing to contemplate that Trump even objects to it. I’m surprised he isn’t privately congratulating Patel on being a shining example of both MAGA and Project 2025.
What may really be pulling Trump’s strings are other things altogether. Things like Trump’s revenge tour not going so well and why isn’t Patel helping Pam Bondi accomplish those tasks? Now failure to do Trump’s revenge bidding is in fact something that could put Patel in hot water. That’s the trail of breadcrumbs to follow, not Patel’s bad headlines.
The interference he creates and emanates from his position, has, to date, protected him, but resultant weaknesses in these layers of interference, so created, are now beginning to manifest and attract attention that’s warranted. The gaps and genesis are being identified and assessed. So, the dawn … errr, sunset … that he’s brought upon himself, may very well be both time limited and just over the horizon. He’s probably existing in interesting times with consequences that are self-inflicted, and concurrently not well tolerated by other concerned, reasonable and way more qualified assessors and onlookers.
This is telling. If trump sends him packing he will have to go back to the Senate to confirm a replacement, and that’s not going to be a rubber stamp this time. Patel has been guarding not only trump’s back, but also Bondi’s, and when he’s gone they will be extremely vulnerable. By New Years the entire administration may be scurrying out the portals. I think the orange abomination will be forced to resign, and his departure may be his Christmas gift to the nation.