FBI Has Become 'Internally Paralyzed by Fear' Under Kash Patel: Leaked Assessment Blast 'Rudderless Ship' Organization as Managers Are 'Afraid of Losing Their Jobs'
A slew of current and retired FBI agents and managers were highly critical of Kash Patel's performance during his first six months as FBI director.
Dec. 2 2025, Published 1:50 p.m. ET
Embattled FBI Director Kash Patel has been slammed for being "in over his head" in a damning 115-page report by active-duty and retired FBI agents, managers, and analysts, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Patel, 45, was excoriated for turning the Bureau into a "rudderless ship" that is "all f----- up" under his leadership, with many managers terrified of being fired because of his hair-trigger temper.
Patel 'Lacks Requisite Knowledge'
Patel was accused of not having the understanding of how the FBI works in the report.
Patel was cited for not having the chops to lead an agency with more than 37,000 employees, many of them seasoned veterans of the Bureau, in the report titled "A Pulse Check of the First Six Months" under his command.
One unnamed source in the report claimed Patel "has neither the breadth of experience nor the bearing an FBI director needs to be successful."
A second claimed their boss "lacks the requisite knowledge or deep understanding of all the FBI’s unique and complex investigative and intelligence programs."
Patel previously worked as a Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the White House's National Security Council from February 2019 to February 2020 during President Trump's first term. The lawyer briefly worked as Chief of Staff for the Defense Department after holding positions as a national security prosecutor in the Justice Department.
Managers 'Paralyzed by Fear'
Patel was accused of making his managers too fearful of getting fired to do their jobs effectively.
Patel's management style was hammered by the 24 FBI sources who contributed to the report.
They claimed the agency has become "internally paralyzed by fear," with "managers afraid of losing their jobs."
As a result, seasoned vets are adopting a go-along-to-get-along mentality rather than taking initiative, "waiting on directions from the FBI director" rather than acting on their own, according to the scathing report.
Patel's Deputy Director, Dan Bongino, was called out for being "something of a clown." At the same time, both men's "arrogance" and "unfortunate obsession with social media" were noted in the report.
Charlie Kirk Assassinaiton Blunders
Patel, seen at a September press conference with Utah's Commissioner of Public Safety and Governor, was accused of taking too much credit for the Charlie Kirk investigation.
Even a self-professed Trump supporter within the Bureau said Patel was "not very good," "may be insecure," and "lacks the requisite experience" and the "measured self-confidence" to be the director of such a vast and powerful agency.
The report's authors also had wide criticism of how Patel acted following MAGA firebrand Charlie Kirk's assassination in Utah on September 10.
Not only did the director fly into Salt Lake City without an FBI raid jacket, but he also refused to step off his plane without wearing one, and agents had to scramble to eventually find one in his size from a female agent at the scene.
A "highly respected" source with decades of FBI experience was highly critical of how his boss took credit for work that wasn't his on the investigation into Kirk's killer.
The source who went by ALPHA 99 said Patel "did a disservice to the FBI by breaking with Bureau tradition and norms by taking credit for the good work of other agencies."
Patel Still Has Trump's Support
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The report was meant to be 'anecdotal' and not a 'hit piece.'
The report will be presented to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees later this week.
The authors said it "was never intended to be a hit piece in any way, shape or form. But the anecdotal reporting from FBI personnel skewed 80/20 negative."
Despite reports that Trump was considering firing Patel, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement: "President Trump has assembled the most talented and impressive administration in history, and they are doing an excellent job carrying out the President’s agenda."
She added: "FBI Director Patel is a critical member of the President’s team, and he is working tirelessly to restore integrity to the FBI."
