Top Trump Official Could Soon Be FIRED Over Charlie Kirk’s Killing
Former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey — once President Trump’s leading candidate to head the FBI — will be sworn in Monday to a new power-sharing position alongside Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino. Bailey’s arrival comes at a pivotal moment for current FBI Director Kash Patel, whose leadership faces mounting pressure both inside and outside the Bureau, according to multiple federal sources.
The White House has framed Bailey’s appointment as a way to strengthen the Bureau, but insiders admit the move left many agents uneasy. “The White House, Bondi, Blanche have no confidence in Kash,” one source told Fox News, referencing Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche. “Pam in particular cannot stand him. Blanche either.”
Bondi, Blanche, and White House officials have publicly dismissed the characterization, insisting there are no active plans to remove Patel. Yet sources close to the president suggest contingency options are being discussed. They point out Bailey has no intention of leaving his Missouri ambitions behind simply to serve as Patel’s subordinate.
That fact alone has raised speculation. Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, Bailey becomes eligible to succeed Patel as FBI Director after 90 days on the job.
President Trump is said to have grown frustrated with Patel’s handling of internal disputes, including his very public spat with Bondi over the administration’s management of the Jeffrey Epstein case. More recently, Patel embarrassed the White House during the manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s assassin when he prematurely declared the suspect was in custody — only for the killer to remain on the run for hours.
A White House source called it “total amateur hour.”
Some officials have floated a potential “soft landing” for Patel — a reassignment to another senior position, similar to past Washington reshuffles. But Bongino himself has also been a lightning rod. According to insiders, he has privately threatened to resign amid the fallout from Patel’s feud with Bondi.
Bailey attempted to tamp down the rumors Monday, releasing a statement: “Any suggestion that I was brought in to replace anyone in leadership at the FBI or spin my appointment into a sign of division, is simply false – I am honored to serve the FBI and Department of Justice as we work together to keep our nation safe.”
Meanwhile, Patel has reportedly been urged by Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to repair his relationship with Bondi and cut back on social media use. His most recent gaffe in Utah underscored that advice. Local officials were stunned when Patel tweeted that Kirk’s assassin was in custody hours before the arrest was actually made. The premature claim infuriated Bondi, Blanche, and senior White House officials, who later barred Patel from speaking at the official press conference.
“Letting Kash talk much could f*** up the prosecution,” one federal official told Fox News.
Despite the firestorm, Bondi and Blanche issued a joint statement last week affirming their support for Patel: “We work with Director Patel every single day and fully support his leadership at the FBI. The suspect is in handcuffs today because of the outstanding work of Director Patel and our law enforcement partners.”
Still, Patel’s leadership was under heavy scrutiny even before Kirk’s assassination. On the same day of the shooting, three former senior FBI officials filed a lawsuit accusing Patel, Bondi, and the DOJ of carrying out an unlawful political purge. The suit claims Patel improperly exercised powers reserved for the president under Article II of the Constitution, creating a “legal minefield” for the Bureau.
As Patel prepares to testify before Congress next week, allies of the president insist he still has Trump’s confidence. “I’m very proud of the FBI. Kash – and everyone else – they have done a great job,” President Trump told Fox News Digital on Saturday.
But the reality behind the scenes is clear: with Bailey now positioned inside the Bureau and Bongino walking a fine line, the future of FBI leadership could shift dramatically — and soon.