FBI Director Kash Patel is “out of his depth” and leading a “chronically underperforming” agency paralyzed by fear and plummeting morale, according to a scathing 115-page report compiled by a national alliance of retired and active-duty FBI special agents and analysts.
The leaked assessment, obtained by the New York Post and prepared for the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, is based on confidential accounts from 24 FBI sources.
They accuse Patel of lacking experience to run the FBI and that managers will not take initiatives without explicit instructions for fear of being fired. Patel’s first six months have painted a “troubling picture” of an organization described by insiders as a “rudderless ship”, with two independent sources calling the director “overwhelmed”. One said he “did not have the required knowledge or in-depth understanding of all of the FBI’s unique and complex investigative and intelligence programs.”
One of the main accusations is that the FBI has become “internally paralyzed by fear.” Managers are “afraid of losing their jobs” and “waiting for instructions from the FBI director” rather than taking initiatives, according to several sources.
This paralysis comes in part from before his nomination, when Patel publicly accused the FBI of being part of a “deep state” conspiracy against Trump and called for its radical overhaul. He advocated for closing the FBI’s headquarters in Washington and dispersing employees across the country, and accused the bureau of political militarization during the Trump investigations.
In response to the report, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement: “President Trump has assembled the most talented and impressive administration in history and they are doing an excellent job implementing the president’s agenda. »
“FBI Director Patel is a vital member of the President’s team and he works tirelessly to restore the integrity of the FBI,” Jackson said.
This assessment comes amid ongoing controversies surrounding Patel’s tenure. Before his confirmation in February 2025, nearly 60 civil rights organizations urged the Senate to reject his nomination due to his lack of experience, foreign ties and misleading statements. Since taking office, he has been criticized for refusing to release Jeffrey Epstein files and for prematurely announcing an arrest in the Kirk investigation, which had to be retracted.
Patel, who served on the House Intelligence Committee and later held positions during the Trump administration’s first term — including as deputy director of national intelligence — is also the author of pro-Trump children’s books, including The Plot Against the King. After Trump lost the 2020 election, Patel became a fixture in right-wing media before Trump won again and catapulted him to head the FBI.
He has also faced scrutiny following allegations that he assigned Swat personnel to protect his girlfriend and used government planes for personal travel.
According to the assessment, on September 11, the day after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Patel arrived in Provo, Utah, but refused to leave the FBI plane without a proper raid vest. A source described as “highly respected” in the report explained that officers working on the Kirk investigation had to stop work to find a medium-sized jacket for Patel. When a female agent’s jacket was delivered, Patel complained about the lack of Velcro patches on the sleeves and refused to disembark until Swat team members removed the patches from their own uniforms and attached them to the borrowed jacket.
The same source confirmed media reports that Patel “yelled” at the special agent in charge and directed “an expletive-laden tirade” about “perceived mistakes” in the case. Dan Bongino, the assistant principal, later called to apologize, “saying this should never have happened.”
Both Patel and Bongino are criticized for what several sources describe as an excessive focus on social media. FBI employees said they heard more about the bureau’s mission through executive posts on social media than through official internal channels.
Bongino, who lacks traditional FBI experience and was granted a waiver authorized by Patel exempting him from the standard polygraph test, is described by one source as “kind of a clown.”
In one incident, Patel became upset after learning that FBI personnel at Quantico had discussed his request to receive a firearm from the FBI. When details came to light, he ordered polygraph exams of everyone involved to identify who had criticized him. In the assessment, a respected FBI official called the order “unnecessarily punitive.”
Not all feedback was negative. Multiple sources praised Patel’s rollback of diversity and equity initiatives and praised immigration enforcement operations. Some have reported greater support for prosecutions compared to the previous administration. However, while some sources supported the dismissal of senior leaders deemed responsible for past politicization, they argued that the reforms “are not deep enough.”
The report also notes the concerns of countries closely associated with the United States. Sources in the report indicate that law enforcement and intelligence services in allied countries fear that the Trump administration “could cause long-term damage to international cooperation.”
The anonymous authors, who requested confidentiality to protect their positions, told the Post that their assessment “was never intended to be a blockbuster article” but acknowledged that “anecdotal reports from FBI personnel were skewed 80/20 negative.” They concluded by advising Patel and Bongino to heed the criticism.
The White House recently denied media reports that Trump was considering firing Patel.
The congressional judiciary committees named in the report will receive a copy of the assessment this week.
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