FBI Agents Who Kneeled During George Floyd Protest Face Consequences from Director Kash Patel: Report

FBI Director Kash Patel has delivered a harsh reality to agents who chose to kneel during a George Floyd protest in 2020.

According to a report from CNN on Wednesday, several FBI agents who were photographed kneeling while on duty during the June 2020 protest in Washington, D.C., have now been reassigned. These reassignments, CNN noted, are widely seen as demotions.

At the time, the agents were deployed to safeguard federal sites in D.C., including “federal monuments and buildings.” Their decision to kneel, seemingly to appease protesters and prevent potential conflict, sparked outrage when images of the moment surfaced publicly.

“FBI agents generally aren’t trained to do crowd control and deploying them to face off demonstrators raised fears of a possible deadly confrontation, current and former bureau officials said,” CNN explained—offering justification for the agents’ actions by framing them as an attempt to “deescalate tensions.”

Although this approach may have avoided immediate violence, it raised eyebrows as it appeared to show federal officers engaging in political expression. Regardless of how one views the gesture, their job was clear: protect government property, not make political statements or yield to protester demands.

CNN's framing suggests the kneeling was purely a tactical move, but there's reason to question whether personal political beliefs may have influenced the decision.

Nearly five years later, those choices are still carrying consequences—and rightly so.

During his confirmation hearing in January, Patel emphasized his goal to restore the FBI’s commitment to serving the American people.

On April 10, he placed intelligence analyst Brian Auten on administrative leave. Auten has been linked to several high-profile controversies, including involvement in the now-discredited Steele dossier, which falsely painted Donald Trump as a Russian operative, and efforts to discredit Hunter Biden’s laptop as “Russian disinformation.”

Despite these serious missteps, Auten received what many would consider a lenient consequence. Similarly, the kneeling agents—who appeared to back demonstrators associated with widespread destruction and unrest—are also facing what could be seen as mild repercussions.

With Trump having recently passed his first 100 days in office, Patel has made notable strides. However, observers argue that demotions and suspensions aren’t enough. The call now is for a deeper overhaul—bringing in individuals better equipped to uphold the FBI’s mission with integrity.