Patel Moves Against ‘Woke’ Agents Who Embarrassed Agency
The FBI has dismissed more than a dozen agents photographed kneeling during a Washington, D.C., protest in 2020, a move that underscores Director Kash Patel’s stated mission to restore the bureau’s integrity.
According to reports from the Associated Press and others, roughly 20 agents were terminated after being reassigned in the years since they joined demonstrators following the death of George Floyd.
The image of FBI agents kneeling on June 4, 2020, quickly went viral and ignited controversy. Critics saw the act as a blatant breach of the bureau’s impartiality at a time when violent protests were sweeping the nation. Those demonstrations—marked by burning buildings, assaults on police officers, and attacks on opponents—were often described as “peaceful” by the corporate media despite widespread destruction.
The FBI Agents Association confirmed the firings Friday and demanded an independent review of Patel’s decision. The group claimed the move ignored due process and contradicted an earlier internal review under then-Director Christopher Wray, which found no policy violation.
“As Director Patel has repeatedly stated, nobody is above the law. But rather than providing these agents with fair treatment and due process, Patel chose to again violate the law by ignoring these agents’ constitutional and legal rights instead of following the requisite process,” the association argued in a statement.
At the time of the protests, then–Attorney General William Barr had ordered the FBI to deploy nationwide to help restore order as riots flared in dozens of cities.
The firings come as Patel is also leading the bureau’s investigation into the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Patel said last week the FBI is “pursuing every lead,” confirming that agents are examining possible accomplices connected to 22-year-old suspect Tyler Robinson.
Robinson was arrested and charged with Kirk’s murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty after Robinson allegedly confessed in a text message and through Discord chats just before his arrest.
Patel told senators during a Judiciary Committee hearing that “a lot more” than 20 individuals linked to Robinson are under scrutiny on Discord. “Every single one” is being investigated or interrogated, he said.
“We are meticulously investigating theories and questions, including the location from where the shot was taken, the possibility of accomplices, the text message confession and related conversations, Discord chats, the angle of the shot and bullet impact, how the weapon was transported, hand gestures observed as potential ‘signals’ near Charlie at the time of his assassination, and visitors to the alleged shooter’s residence in the hours and days leading up to September 10, 2025,” Patel explained in a post on X.
He added, “The entire FBI mourns the loss of Charlie Kirk. We will not rest until justice is served, and our investigation into this assassination will continue until every question is answered.”
Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder and several other crimes. He has not entered a public plea, and a judge has scheduled his next hearing for September 29.