Radio Atlantic Kash Patel's FBI
65 snips
Apr 23, 2026 
Quinta Jurecic, Atlantic legal writer tracking Justice Department shifts, and Sarah Fitzpatrick, Atlantic reporter who investigated concerns about FBI Director Kash Patel. They discuss reports of erratic behavior and security worries. They also cover DOJ staffing changes, counterterror and counterintelligence gaps, and how headlines have preceded agency actions.
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Veteran Agents Express Rare Panic
- Fitzpatrick emphasizes the unusually high level of alarm inside the FBI, describing seasoned counterintelligence officials as frightened and emotional.
- That visceral fear among experienced staff signaled to her the issue was an internal emergency, not routine gripe.
Iran War Raised Stakes For FBI Fitness
- Concerns about Patel predated his formal nomination and intensified after the Iran war began, given Iran's history of targeting U.S. officials.
- Sources fear the FBI director's alleged impairment could degrade the bureau's ability to respond to asymmetric threats and domestic attacks.
Corroborate Explosive Claims Thoroughly
- Fitzpatrick defends her reporting and urges that corroborating information has continued to arrive from high government levels.
- She implies journalists must pursue corroboration thoroughly when reporting explosive national-security allegations.