Kash Patel Melts Down On X After Swalwell's Savage Jacket Dig Goes Viral

FBI Director Kash Patel erupted publicly after Representative Eric Swalwell ridiculed him for allegedly wearing a woman's size FBI jacket, an exchange that has deepened scrutiny over Patel's leadership.

Patel's sharp retort came in the wake of a leaked 115-page internal assessment compiled by former and current agents. The report, based on interviews with 24 insiders, painted a damning picture of the bureau under his watch, describing morale as collapsing, operations as chaotic, and concluding that the agency has become 'rudderless.'

The spotlight, however, fell on one embarrassing anecdote: Patel allegedly refused to disembark from a flight in Utah the day after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, demanding an FBI raid jacket before leaving the aircraft. When only a female agent's medium-sized jacket could be found, agents reportedly had to rip patches off their own uniforms just to fit Patel's demands.

Scathing Report Alleges a 'Rudderless' Agency

The leaked 'pulse-check' document is unusually scathing for an internal agency assessment. According to a summary obtained by investigators, multiple sources described the bureau as 'internally paralysed by fear,' where managers are too afraid to take initiative for fear of losing their jobs.

Among the report's many criticisms, two stood out: it labelled Patel as 'in over his head' and characterised his deputy, Dan Bongino, as a 'clown.' The jacket incident was not dismissed as a trivial quirk: agents reportedly halted their work in the middle of a sensitive investigation, the assassination probe of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, to retrieve a jacket that Patel deemed acceptable.

One 'highly respected' veteran agent reportedly told investigators that the delay caused by providing Patel with a jacket cost the bureau precious time. The resulting uncertainty over leadership, morale, and operational readiness has triggered urgent internal discussions about the direction of the bureau under its new leadership.

Public Feud Erupts on X

The bizarre episode quickly moved beyond internal criticism to public mockery. On X, Swalwell did not mince his words, criticising what he called Patel's 'cosplay' as a serious law-enforcement figure. He wrote: 'I don't mind that ... he had to wear a women's (size medium) jacket to cosplay as someone in charge. I just wish he'd focus on stopping the rampant domestic terrorism happening on his watch.'

Patel fired back on his X account. He wrote: 'I was looking for a Youth Large ... Domestic terrorism arrests are UP 30% this year, impressive, considering I spent zero days dating a Chinese spy named Fang Fang, where should I send your women's medium for date night?'

This retort, targeting Swalwell's alleged past links to suspected Chinese agent Christine Fang, has fuelled a furious online reaction while shifting attention back to questions about Patel's fitness to lead the bureau.

Deeper Concerns Over Leadership and Integrity

The jacket incident may appear trivial on its face, but many agents and lawmakers view it as a window into deeper systemic problems. The leaked report concludes that under Patel and Bongino, the FBI has become disjointed, slow, and risk-averse, the opposite of what is expected from a top-tier intelligence and enforcement agency.

Lawmakers have already begun demanding answers. In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on 16 September 2025, Patel faced tough questions over not only the handling of the Kirk investigation but also the transparency surrounding long-running cases like those involving child-sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. His heated exchange with Democratic senators, including a widely publicised shouting match with Adam Schiff, underscored the volatile climate at the heart of federal law enforcement oversight.

Senators have also pointed to a string of firings and reassignments at the bureau, with some former agents filing lawsuits alleging politically motivated terminations. Critics argue the FBI under Patel is diverging from its traditional mandate, instead embracing loyalty tests and partisan prioritisation.

Meanwhile, actual performance metrics are under intense scrutiny. While Patel references a rise in domestic terror arrests, internal sources counter that the surge in numbers masks a crisis in morale, inefficiency, and strategic direction. The leaked report claims many managers refuse to act without explicit orders, describing the institution as 'all fucked up.'

The public spat between Patel and Swalwell may go down as a meme in modern political history, but for the FBI, the more serious damage may be institutional.