FBI sources: Kash Patel, Dan Bongino likely out soon [View all]

Source: Salon

Published December 15, 2025 7:27PM (EST)


Kash Patel’s troubled tenure as Donald Trump’s FBI director may be “at its end,” according to multiple sources, in the wake of the recent mass shooting at Brown University along with a series of other perceived mishaps. Meanwhile, staffers also say that Deputy Director Dan Bongino is already “out the door,” signaling a larger shakeup at the agency.

Patel boasted Sunday on X that the FBI had brought in a “person of interest” in the Brown shooting using “geolocation capabilities” and then added that Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez had praised the FBI for following through on a tip to locate the potential suspect.

A few hours later in a Sunday evening press conference, however, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said that person had been released, as there was “no basis” to keep them in custody. Patel had made similar announcements about a “person of interest” during the early stages of the FBI’s investigation into Charlie Kirk’s murder, and was also forced to walk those back.

Insiders told Salon that pressure has been mounting against Patel from inside the FBI. White House officials, on background, said that Trump “wouldn’t be all that upset” to see Patel go. According to three different sources inside the FBI, the once-respected federal law enforcement agency is “in shambles.” Morale is at an “all-time low,” said one 30-year veteran, adding, “The cause is at the top.”

Read more: https://www.salon.com/2025/12/15/fbi-sources-kash-patel-dan-bongino-likely-out-soon/