FBI Director Kash Patel threatened to sue The Atlantic magazine for publishing a bombshell article about his alleged drinking problem.
Patel threatened the lawsuit on Friday, April 17, the same day the article dropped like a grenade in Washington, D.C.
The article, titled “The FBI Director Is MIA,” claims Secret Secret once used “breaching equipment” to break down a locked door when Patel didn’t respond to phone calls after a night of heavy drinking.
The “hit piece,” according to Patel’s lawyer, described the director as an uncontrolled alcoholic whose drinking is affecting his job.
Allegedly, his “excessive drinking” has “alarmed” the Justice Department, colleagues, and his boss at the White House.
During one alleged incident on April 10, Patel “struggled to log on to an internal computer system.” Believing he was intentionally locked out of the computer system, “he panicked, frantically calling aides and allies to announce that he had been fired by the White House, according to nine people familiar with his outreach. Two of these people described his behavior as a “freak-out.”
Patel oversees an agency of 38,000 federal employees, including many who exchanged texts and calls about Patel’s behavior.
Former White House officials were concerned that Patel’s job was in jeopardy.
Patel was among the officials expected to be fired by President Donald Trump after Attorney General Pam Bondi was dismissed on April 2.
READ ALSO: President Trump Fires Attorney General Pam Bondi
The White House “fielded calls from the bureau and from members of Congress asking who was now in charge of the FBI,” according to The Atlantic.
The White House eventually confirmed Patel had not been fired and that he was still the director of the FBI.
Patel lashed out on Friday night, telling The Atlantic and writer Sarah Fitzpatrick he’ll see them in court.
In a follow-up post on X, Patel wrote: “Memo to the fake news – the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop. Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing.”
Memo to the fake news – the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop. Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 18, 2026
