President Trump is shaking up the leadership of the FBI, fueling speculation about director Kash Patel's future, but the White House dismiss the rumors as mere talk.
As reported by Fox News, former Missouri Attorney general Andrew Bailey was sworn in as co-deputy director on Monday, in an unprecedented power-sharing arrangement with current No. 2, Dan Bongino.
Bailey's appointment had been announced in August, before the assassination of Charlie Kirk put FBI leadership back in the spotlight.
When the shakeup was first announced, there were questions about whether deputy director Bongino was being sidelined following a clash with attorney general Pam Bondi over the Epstein files. Bongino reportedly gave Trump an ultimatum, threatening to quit unless Bondi was fired.
The exact reason for Bailey's appointment as co-deputy is still unclear. Bailey left Missouri with the expectation of replacing Patel eventually, Fox reported, citing "Patel’s harshest critics."
A senior White House source dismissed talk about Patel being reassigned to a different role, saying the chatter is coming from people with a vested interest in forcing him out, Fox News said.
Trump's leadership team put on a united front in response to Fox News, rejecting speculation of Patel's ouster.
"Any suggestion that I was brought in to replace anyone in leadership at the FBI or spin my appointment into a sign of division, is simply false - I am honored to serve the FBI and Department of Justice as we work together to keep our nation safe," Bailey told Fox News.
While Fox claims that Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, lack confidence in Patel, they both denied the claim.
"We work with Director Patel every single day and fully support his leadership at the FBI. The suspect is in handcuffs today because of the outstanding work of Director Patel and our law enforcement partners. Any suggestion to the contrary does not reflect the reality of our strong working relationship and shared commitment to protecting the American people," Bondi and Blanche said.
During the manhunt for Charlie Kirk's killer, Patel was slammed for prematurely claiming that the suspect was in custody. He was also criticized for invoking the Norse afterlife, Valhalla, in a tribute to Kirk at a press conference where 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was named as the suspect.
Patel's defenders have noted the 33-hour search was over relatively quickly after the FBI shared images that led to Robinson being confronted by his father.
When asked about his FBI over the weekend, Trump said he is happy with everyone.
"I am very proud of the FBI," Trump told Fox News Digital Saturday. "Kash — and everyone else — they have done a great job."
