'Let's take a picture': Trump mocks report on Patel's alleged departure from FBI
The president referred to a report published by MS Now, an NBC-owned news channel.
Patel and Trump in the Oval Office/ Andrew Caballero- Reynolds.
The White House denied a report that Donald Trump planned to fire the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, soon. The press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, was in charge of denying the information published by MS Now, a news channel owned by NBC.
The report, written by Carol Leonnig, Laura Barron-Lopez and Ken Dilanian, noted that Trump was considering "ousting Patel in the coming months." The reason? An alleged frustration in the wake of the "unflattering headlines Patel has generated recently."
"Trump and White House advisers have confided to allies that the president is considering removing Patel and is considering senior FBI official Andrew Bailey as the bureau's new director, according to the three people," they added, citing inside sources in the Trump administration.
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Hours after the report was published, Leavitt responded on social media, claiming it is a "completely made up" story: "In fact, when this Fake News published, I was in the Oval Office, where President Trump was meeting with his law enforcement team, including FBI Director Kash Patel."
"I read the headline to the President and he laughed. He said: 'What? That’s totally false. Come on Kash, let’s take a picture to show them you’re doing a great job!' Don't believe the fake news!" she added, sharing a photo of the two of them smiling in the Oval Office in front of the copy of the Declaration of Independence.
">This story is completely made up.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) November 25, 2025
In fact, when this Fake News published, I was in the Oval Office, where President Trump was meeting with his law enforcement team, including FBI Director Kash Patel.
I read the headline to the President and he laughed. He said: “What? That’s… https://t.co/qbsy0nW2Bg pic.twitter.com/aNL5Qw9MA8
Leavitt's post quickly went viral, surpassing two million views on X within hours.
The most significant controversy Patel faced concerned the Jeffrey Epstein archives, amid internal conflicts between him and Dan Bongino, the deputy director of the FBI, and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Before being confirmed by the Senate as FBI director, Patel worked at the Department of Justice during the Obama administration and later joined the staff of Republican Congressman Devin Nunes, who is now the CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). In late 2020, he was appointed as chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller. After Trump's first term ended, he joined TMTG.
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