Kash Patel at the FBI, from his nomination to the fights over his tenure

Active · last development Sep 15, 2026: “Patel suggests FBI agents may be sent to polls”

What this arc covers

Kash Patel's leadership of the FBI: Trump's choice of him and Christopher Wray's decision to resign, his confirmation hearing and Senate approval, his brief turn running the ATF, the move out of the FBI's Washington headquarters, the firings of FBI agents and officials, including agents photographed kneeling at a 2020 protest, and the lawsuit by fired officials, his clashes with Congress, the hack of his email by Iran-linked hackers, his defamation suits, including against The Atlantic over its story on his drinking, and the questions about his travel.

Kash Patel

Earliest story we hold Dec 1, 2024 · 30 stories · 176 independent sources (counted once each) · 653 days

Part ofFederal Bureau of InvestigationKash PatelDonald TrumpGeorge FloydIranJoe BidenNew ZealandSusan Collins

Part of Trump's cabinet nominations

  1. Matt Gaetz's withdrawn nomination for attorney general and the House Ethics reportNov 13, 2024 – Apr 2, 2025
  2. Pete Hegseth's confirmation as defense secretaryNov 13, 2024 – Jan 24, 2025
  3. RFK Jr.'s confirmation as health secretaryNov 14, 2024 – Feb 12, 2025
  4. Marty Makary's time leading the FDA and Heidi Overton's nomination to succeed himNov 23, 2024 – Sep 24, 2026
  5. Kash Patel at the FBI, from his nomination to the fights over his tenureThis arcDec 1, 2024 – Sep 15, 2026
  6. Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney generalApr 2 – Aug 8, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Sep 152026Patel suggests FBI agents may be sent to polls7 articles · 7 independent sources
6 left, 1 center, 0 right
Sep 14– 162026FBI chief Patel defends loosening of hiring standards on bestiality, prostitution99 articles · 59 independent sources
12 left, 20 center, 9 right
May 14– 162026Emails show FBI Director Kash Patel's Hawaii trip included 'VIP snorkel' at a Pearl Harbor memorial26 articles · 20 independent sources
7 left, 5 center, 2 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Dec 1 – 3, 2024Trump’s FBI pick Kash Patel faces scrutiny over overhaul plans161 articles · 73 independent sources
    1. Dec 1, 2024Trump says he intends to nominate loyalist Kash Patel to serve as FBI director
    2. Dec 3, 2024Trump’s FBI pick has plans to reshape the bureau. This is what Kash Patel has said he wants to do
  2. Dec 10 – 13, 2024FBI Director Christopher Wray plans to resign next month124 articles · 72 independent sources
    1. Dec 10, 2024Wray mulls whether to resign as FBI director as GOP pressure mounts, senators warm up to Trump pick Patel
    2. Dec 11, 2024FBI Director Christopher Wray announces resignation
    3. Dec 13, 2024Only left-leaning coverage:Christopher Wray's cowardly exit: What's left when the FBI director acquiesces to Trump in advance?
  3. Feb 19 – 21, 2025Trump Loyalist Kash Patel Is Confirmed as FBI Director by the Senate Despite Deep Democratic Doubts96 articles · 63 independent sources
    1. Feb 19, 2025Senate confirms Kash Patel as Trump’s FBI director
    2. Feb 21, 2025Senate confirms Patel as next FBI director
  4. Sep 27, 2025FBI fires agents photographed kneeling during 2020 racial justice protest, sources say31 articles · 25 independent sources
  5. Mar 27 – 28, 2026Iran-linked hackers claim they breached FBI Director Kash Patel's email66 articles · 45 independent sources
  6. Apr 18 – 21, 2026FBI Director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for $250 million over story on alleged drinking, absences43 articles · 37 independent sources
    1. Apr 18, 2026FBI Director Kash Patel threatens to sue The Atlantic over ‘categorically false’ report alleging excessive drinking
    2. Apr 20, 2026FBI Director Kash Patel sues the Atlantic for $250M, alleging defamation
  7. Sep 14 – 16, 2026FBI chief Patel defends loosening of hiring standards on bestiality, prostitution99 articles · 59 independent sources

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Nov 2024Apr 2025Aug 2025Dec 2025May 2026Sep 2026

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Nov 25, 2024102010116
Dec 2, 2024613952
Dec 9, 2024162418121
Jan 27, 2025710734
Feb 3, 20252138
Feb 10, 202536523
Feb 17, 2025172115139
Feb 24, 202518523
Apr 7, 202515624
May 12, 202503515
Sep 8, 202534011
Sep 15, 20251206
Sep 22, 202547430
Sep 29, 202524212
Oct 27, 202513216
Dec 8, 202518224
Dec 22, 202504218
Mar 9, 20263116
Mar 23, 20266121159
Apr 13, 20260033
Apr 20, 2026129847
May 11, 202687232
Sep 14, 202617219104

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

27% left · 52% center · 21% right of 176 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 30 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. December 2024

    Dec 1– 3Trump’s FBI pick Kash Patel faces scrutiny over overhaul plans161 articles · 73 independent sources
    16 left, 26 center, 16 right
  2. Dec 1– 4Trump’s FBI pick Kash Patel targeted in Iranian cyberattack12 articles · 9 independent sources
    0 left, 5 center, 2 right
  3. Dec 10– 13FBI Director Christopher Wray plans to resign next month124 articles · 72 independent sources
    16 left, 24 center, 18 right

  4. January 2025

    Jan 29– 31Takeaways from FBI director nominee Kash Patel’s combative confirmation hearing27 articles · 22 independent sources
    6 left, 7 center, 6 right
  5. Jan 30Trump's pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, says he has no enemies list and won't seek retribution9 articles · 6 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 1 right

  6. February 2025

    Feb 6Senate Democrats delay key vote on confirmation for Trump FBI pick Kash Patel8 articles · 6 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 3 right
  7. Feb 11– 13Senate panel advances nomination of Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI24 articles · 21 independent sources
    3 left, 6 center, 5 right
  8. Feb 19– 20Susan Collins will vote against Kash Patel as Donald Trump’s FBI director8 articles · 8 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 4 right
  9. Feb 19– 21Trump Loyalist Kash Patel Is Confirmed as FBI Director by the Senate Despite Deep Democratic Doubts96 articles · 63 independent sources
    14 left, 17 center, 11 right
  10. Feb 21– 25FBI Director Kash Patel to take over ATF, reports say40 articles · 17 independent sources
    0 left, 7 center, 8 right
  11. Feb 22New FBI director Kash Patel plans to relocate 1,500 employees11 articles · 6 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 1 right
  12. Feb 27– 28FBI Director Kash Patel wants to bring the UFC to the FBI, sources say10 articles · 6 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 2 right

  13. April 2025

    Apr 9– 10Kash Patel has been replaced by Army Secretary Driscoll as acting head of the ATF, AP sources say25 articles · 18 independent sources
    1 left, 5 center, 6 right

  14. May 2025

    May 16Kash Patel announces FBI ditching DC headquarters, transferring 1,500 agents15 articles · 8 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 5 right

  15. September 2025

    Sep 10Fired FBI officials sue Kash Patel, alleging ‘campaign of retribution’12 articles · 11 independent sources
    3 left, 4 center, 0 right
  17. Sep 27FBI fires agents photographed kneeling during 2020 racial justice protest, sources say31 articles · 25 independent sources
    4 left, 7 center, 4 right
  18. Sep 30FBI boss Kash Patel gave New Zealand officials 3D-printed guns illegal to possess under local laws14 articles · 14 independent sources
    2 left, 4 center, 2 right

  19. October 2025

    Oct 31– Nov 2Michigan lawyer says a Halloween terror plot that FBI Director Kash Patel described never existed16 articles · 10 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 2 right

  20. December 2025

    Dec 8– 9FBI agents fired for kneeling during 2020 protest sue over termination26 articles · 21 independent sources
    1 left, 8 center, 2 right
  21. Dec 27FBI permanently closing HQ at J. Edgar Hoover Building, Kash Patel announces18 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 4 center, 2 right

  22. March 2026

    Mar 12Kash Patel Confirms UFC Fighters Will Train FBI Agents: "Historic Opportunity"9 articles · 9 independent sources
    3 left, 1 center, 1 right
  23. Mar 27– 28Iran-linked hackers claim they breached FBI Director Kash Patel's email66 articles · 45 independent sources
    6 left, 12 center, 11 right

  24. April 2026

    Apr 18– 21FBI Director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for $250 million over story on alleged drinking, absences43 articles · 37 independent sources
    10 left, 9 center, 8 right
  25. Apr 22Another Kash Patel defamation lawsuit was just dismissed6 articles · 6 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 3 right
  26. Apr 23NYT alleges FBI investigated reporter over story on Kash Patel’s girlfriend8 articles · 8 independent sources
    4 left, 0 center, 2 right

  27. May 2026

    May 12FBI Director Kash Patel denies drinking allegations in heated Senate exchange7 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 0 right
  28. May 14– 16Emails show FBI Director Kash Patel's Hawaii trip included 'VIP snorkel' at a Pearl Harbor memorial26 articles · 20 independent sources
    7 left, 5 center, 2 right

  29. September 2026

    Sep 14– 16FBI chief Patel defends loosening of hiring standards on bestiality, prostitution99 articles · 59 independent sources
    12 left, 20 center, 9 right
  30. Sep 15Patel suggests FBI agents may be sent to polls7 articles · 7 independent sources
    6 left, 1 center, 0 right