According to The Atlantic, FBI Director Kash Patel drinks heavily to the point of obvious alcohol poisoning, with several instances last year where he was so drunk that his own guards had difficulty reviving him. On one occasion, his guards had to use FBI equipment intended for forcing entry into residences to reach him when he was unreachable behind a locked door. Patel's drinking often occurs openly at the private club Ned's in Washington or at Poodle Room in Las Vegas where he spends his weekends, and it has been a concern at multiple levels within the Trump administration.
His drinking has been a problem since he began his service in February 2025, with meetings early after his appointment postponed to later in the day because he was hungover. Patel is often inexplicably absent from work, with his presence in the office described as irregular and him often impossible to reach, according to The Atlantic's sources. These absences have caused important and time-sensitive decisions to be postponed and worsened the agency's existing problems with bureaucratic bottlenecks.
On several occasions, the consequences of Patel's absences have caused normally level-headed FBI agents to lose it. After the USA's gold in the Olympic ice hockey tournament in Milan, Patel went down to the locker room to celebrate, where he was caught on film chugging a bottle of beer and jumping around with NHL stars. President Donald Trump called Patel to express his displeasure over the locker room incident, as Trump does not drink and his brother died after long-term alcohol abuse.
On Friday, April 10, Patel suddenly could not log into the FBI's data systems due to a technical error, but he quickly became convinced he had been fired. He panicked and began manically calling around to various colleagues and allies, which two of The Atlantic's sources describe as a breakdown. The FBI, under Patel, has fired at least 10 employees linked to the investigation into classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
The dismissals occurred after reports revealed the FBI had obtained phone records of Patel and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles during the probe. Patel called the FBI obtaining his phone records outrageous. The investigation into Trump's handling of classified materials post-presidency was led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, resulting in an FBI raid and a 37-count indictment.
A federal judge dismissed the classified documents case against Trump in July 2024, deeming Special Counsel Jack Smith's appointment unconstitutional. The FBI Agents Association criticized the mass firings, stating they weaken the Bureau. There is a pattern of staff purges under Patel, including agents deemed to lack conservative bona fides.