'Garbage reporting': Trump FBI official slams Fox News over report that he may be fired

15 September

Dan Bongino at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference on March 6, 2014 (Christopher Halloran/ Shutterstock.com)

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has pushed back hard against reports that he and Director Kash Patel are on the way out of the bureau, calling Fox News’s coverage “garbage reporting.”

A recent Fox News story claimed that 10 anonymous federal sources told reporter Jacqui Heinrich that Patel’s position is under threat, partly because President Donald Trump is unhappy with how the FBI handled the manhunt for right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin. Heinrich added that Bongino's days are "likely more numbered" than Patel's due to his clashing with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Heinrich said “knives are out” for Patel.

The Daily Beast highlighted Bongino's comments during an appearance on "The Megyn Kelly Show" where he challenged the claim. He asked: “Where are the knives?”

He added: “Who’s holding the knives? The knives are out?”

He listed what he described as recent successes under his and Patel’s leadership. He argued that, if Trump had concerns, he would communicate them directly. He said:

“I don’t mean to get personal, but you know the president — like, do you think he’s the type to not call you?”

“So I’m a little skeptical of garbage reporting about unnamed sources … who are saying, oh my gosh, the knives are out. When everybody on the record is saying, ‘What are you talking about? Everything’s going great.’”

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung issued a statement to the media on Sunday defending Patel’s work.

“Director Patel and his team worked night and day to find this murderer and bring him to justice. Anyone who doubts his resolve and dedication—especially when Charlie was such a close friend to him—simply is using this extremely sad moment in a disgusting act of political gamesmanship. The focus was on catching this killer, and he will face the full wrath of the justice system.”

Patel drew criticism for prematurely announcing a suspect was in custody in the Kirk case, then later saying that information was incorrect.

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