Kash Patel and the Lessons of FBI Leadership How does the current director stand up to his predecessors?

Kash Patel needs to be OUT of our government!!




Kash Patel and the Lessons of FBI Leadership
How does the current director stand up to his predecessors?

https://www.therealmccabe.com/p/kash-patel-and-the-lessons-of-fbi


Apr 20, 2026

On Friday night, Sarah Fitzpatrick at The Atlantic broke a major story detailing numerous alleged issues with FBI Director Kash Patel. From launching into a panicked meltdown when his computer password stopped working, to rescheduling meetings after late-night drinking binges, to requiring his protection team to use breaching equipment to wake him in the morning, Fitzpatrick paints a picture of a man who drinks too much, is frequently absent from work, flies off the handle during crises, hunts down employees he believes dislike him, and—most crucially—has lost the support of the FBI workforce. Fitzpatrick claims to have spoken to more than two dozen sources for the article, including current and former FBI officials, law enforcement and intelligence leaders, and members of Congress. Patel has called the allegations false and has threatened to sue The Atlantic for defamation.

I served under four FBI directors, each of whom I knew personally and had the opportunity to observe closely under stressful conditions. At the end of my 21-year career, while serving as deputy director, I was Acting FBI Director for three months. I can tell you without reservation that it is a tough job that requires 110 percent of everything you have, every day. There are no breaks—it comes before weekends, vacations, holidays, family, and even your health. It is an immense responsibility, one in which you may be required to make consequential decisions at any time, day or night.

If the article is accurate, it paints a troubling picture of an FBI director whose behavior may be putting the nation at risk. Reading it forced me to step back and compare many aspects of Patel’s performance with the lessons I learned from working for four FBI directors—and briefly serving in the role myself. The exercise did not make me feel any better. Here are some of the ways in which I believe Kash Patel is failing as FBI director.

1. The Director Must Be Present

Let’s start with availability. If you want to lead the world’s premier law enforcement agency, you must be physically and mentally present. There is no autopilot for the director. FBI employees watch the director closely, so any indication that you are “phoning it in” sends a clear message to the workforce that the job is not urgent. This is a problem because the job is urgent—at all times.

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