Trump Says 'He's Doing A Good Job' As Patel Denies Plot To Oust FBI Director

One sharp comment from US President Donald Trump that his FBI Director is doing a great job, has defused volatility over an explosive claim about his possible dismissal.

Trump responded aboard Air Force One to a report that he was considering removing Kash Patel from the helm of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), calling the idea baseless. The White House swiftly denied the story, portraying the suggestion of an ouster as fabricated.

Report of a Shake-Up Sends Washington Tumbling

The stir began with reports that claimed that top aides had grown frustrated with negative headlines surrounding Patel. According to the outlet, citing three unnamed insiders, discussions were underway to replace him with the FBI's co-deputy director, Andrew Bailey.

If true, such a move would signal a major internal rift. FBI directors are meant to enjoy insulation from political pressure through 10-year terms. Critics saw the potential ouster as emblematic of escalating attempts to politicise federal law enforcement under the Trump administration.

When asked directly by reporters, Trump dismissed the rumour. 'He is doing a great job, I think', he said, describing Patel's performance as solid and, implicitly, beyond reproach.

Hours earlier, the White House issued a firm denial. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, posting on X, called the MS NOW story 'completely made up'. She even shared a photograph taken that same day in the Oval Office, showing Trump and Patel together, suggesting that their meeting stressed cohesion, not dissent.

Leavitt said the President laughed when shown the headline and immediately invited Patel to pose for the picture. According to her, the message was clear, there is no crisis within the administration.

Patel's Troubled Tenure Fuels Speculation

The backdrop to this drama is Patel's controversial run as FBI Director since his confirmation early in 2025. His critics point to a string of missteps that many argue have eroded trust in the agency's independence and competence.

In September 2025, Patel asserted on social media that a suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative figure Charlie Kirk had been captured, a claim swiftly contradicted by local law enforcement. The confusion lasted for hours, prompting condemnation from current and former FBI agents who said Patel's premature public pronouncement breached standard investigative protocols.

That incident triggered an internal backlash. A former FBI agent said that releasing such information based solely on raw intelligence was unprecedented. Another former official branded Patel's performance as 'not acceptable to the White House or the American public', according to anonymous internal sources, though those sources admitted the matter would be addressed privately, not in public.

Patel has also proposed sweeping structural changes, calling for the stripping of the FBI's traditional intelligence-gathering role and purging personnel perceived as unsupportive of Trump's agenda. That stance has alarmed both career agents and civil-liberties advocates.

What's Next for the FBI and Public Trust

For now, the fiscal and political hallway chatter seems to have quieted. With Trump's public endorsement and the White House's categorical denial, Patel appears secure in his role, at least in the short term.

Yet the events emphasize deeper tensions. The very fact that such speculation surfaced, and was taken seriously, suggests worry inside and outside Washington about the independence of the FBI and the integrity of criminal investigations under a director openly aligned with a polarising political figure.

Trump's endorsement may have silenced the rumour, but it has not resolved the deeper issues at stake.