New York Post columnist Miranda Devine delivered a blistering critique of FBI Director Kash Patel in a recent opinion piece, accusing him of damaging morale inside the bureau and weakening the nation’s ability to respond to a growing number of terror threats.
Devine, who is generally supportive of President Donald Trump, argued that Patel’s leadership style and personal conduct have raised concerns within the agency at a time when the United States faces mounting security challenges.
Her criticism comes as several violent incidents across the country have heightened concerns about domestic security. Devine pointed to a series of recent attacks, including a shooting in Austin, Texas, suspects in New York who allegedly threw homemade bombs at anti-Muslim protesters outside Gracie Mansion, a shooting last week at Old Dominion University, and an attempted attack on a synagogue in Michigan that was stopped by local security.
“So much for the FBI being on ‘high alert,’” Devine wrote, referencing Patel’s earlier pledge that the bureau would remain vigilant following the start of the Iran war.
“The cascading recent attacks point to a failure of the FBI, the primary agency for ‘deterring attacks here at home,’ as Patel boasted,” she added.
Devine also focused on the internal atmosphere at the bureau, claiming that many FBI agents who endured what she described as difficult years during the Biden-Obama administrations had hoped for renewed focus and reform under the Trump administration.
Instead, according to Devine, some agents now feel disillusioned.
She wrote that agents who remained with the bureau in hopes of improvement are expressing disappointment in what they view as Patel’s “unfocused leadership,” as well as what she described as his preoccupation with personal image and a series of sudden personnel removals.
Those personnel changes include the recent firing of multiple agents, analysts, and support staff from the bureau’s CI-12 unit. Devine noted that those dismissals were tied to their involvement in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump.
“The latest purge has sent a chill through the ranks,” Devine wrote.
She cited a former FBI agent who described the situation inside the bureau as increasingly tense.
Another former agent, Devine reported, said a “culture of fear” has taken hold across multiple levels of leadership, with some employees worried that routine decisions could cost them their careers.
“Folks are afraid to do their jobs for fear of losing their heads,” the former agent said.
Devine acknowledged that Patel faces a difficult task in attempting to address what she described as rogue actors who previously used the bureau to target Trump and conservatives. But she argued that the director’s personal conduct has not helped restore confidence among agents.
“His high-profile private life, flamboyant style and devotion to flying to sporting events at home and abroad in the FBI jet don’t help morale,” Devine wrote.
Patel has faced criticism for using the bureau’s private aircraft for trips connected to his personal life, including traveling to see his country singer girlfriend perform. Devine also noted reports that he traveled to Italy, where he was seen celebrating with the U.S. Olympic hockey team.
According to a report from The New York Times cited in the column, Patel also requested that rotating SWAT teams provide security for his girlfriend during appearances, personal engagements, and errands.
For some former officials, Devine wrote, those decisions raise concerns about how the bureau’s limited resources are being used.
A former senior FBI agent told Devine that the agency must constantly balance competing priorities, particularly in areas involving national security.
“While the FBI has considerable resources, such resources are limited — even in the national security mission area,” the former agent said.
He added that when personnel are redirected away from core security duties, risks inevitably increase.
“It is a zero-sum situation,” the former agent said. “When people are being redirected away from their primary national security duties, some things are bound to be missed — especially in the area of proactive threat identification and mitigation.”
Devine’s critique underscores the pressure facing the FBI at a time when threats appear to be rising, while also highlighting the internal challenges confronting an agency that remains central to the nation’s efforts to prevent violence at home.
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