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The FBI director underlined his experience as a congressional staffer and Trump administration official
The FBI director underlined his experience as a congressional staffer and Trump administration official. (Reuters file)
FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday told a US Senate panel that he is not going anywhere, amid rumours that he might resign from his post in the wake of growing scrutiny over his handling of the murder investigation of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Patel said during his opening statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The FBI director underlined his experience as a congressional staffer and Trump administration official, saying, “If you want to criticise my 16 years of service, please bring it on.”
He stressed that he was focused on building public trust and increasing transparency. Patel also highlighted a rise in FBI arrests for violent crime and seizures of illegal guns during his tenure.
Patel drew scrutiny from current and former US officials after he inaccurately posted on social media last Wednesday that the person responsible for the shooting of Kirk was in custody. The FBI later clarified that, at that point, two individuals had only been questioned and released. The actual suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was not arrested until Thursday night.
Despite criticism of Patel, President Donald Trump praised him for the speed with which the FBI identified and apprehended Robinson.
Questioned on the recent firings of FBI agents, Patel said he would not discuss personnel decisions and accused Democrats of unfairly attacking FBI leadership. He called it “absolutely disgraceful” to cite what he described as a “one-sided story” about the firings. “Your attack on the current leadership of the men and women of the FBI is equally disgraceful,” he added.
Patel is also facing a lawsuit from three high-ranking FBI officials who have accused him of illegally firing them in a “campaign of retribution.”
In his opening statement, the FBI chief brought up the Epstein files and asserted that the Trump administration has done more to release all “credible information” they could under the law.
(with inputs from AP, Reuters)
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter –twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter –twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
September 16, 2025, 20:24 is
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