According to The Atlantic's sources, FBI Director Kash Patel drinks heavily to the point of obvious alcohol poisoning, often openly at the private club Ned's in Washington or at Poodle Room in Las Vegas where he spends his weekends. The sources say Patel is often inexplicably absent from work, and several times last year, he was so drunk that his own guards had difficulty reviving him. His drinking has been a problem since he began his service in February 2025, and it is a concern at multiple levels within the Trump administration.
Specific incidents have required direct intervention. On one occasion, Patel's guards had to use FBI equipment intended for forcing entry into residences because he was unreachable behind a locked door. Early after his appointment, meetings had to be postponed to later in the day because Patel was hungover.
FBI Director is missing in action.
Important and time-sensitive decisions have also had to be postponed due to his absence, according to The Atlantic's sources. One notable incident occurred after the USA's gold in the Olympic ice hockey tournament in Milan, when Patel went down to the locker room to celebrate. He was caught on film chugging a bottle of beer and jumping around with NHL stars in the locker room.
President Donald Trump called Patel to express his displeasure about the locker room incident, The Atlantic's sources report. Patel's behavior reportedly escalated on Friday, April 10, when he suddenly could not log into the FBI's data systems. The login issue was due to a technical error, but Patel quickly became convinced he had been fired.
Outrageous.
He panicked and began manically calling around to various colleagues and allies. Two of The Atlantic's sources describe Patel's behavior as a breakdown. Amid these allegations, 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 phone records of him and Wiles 'outrageous,' according to The Atlantic's sources. The investigation into classified documents at Mar-a-Lago was led by Special Counsel Jack Smith and focused on Donald Trump's handling of classified materials post-presidency.
It resulted in an FBI raid and a 37-count indictment. However, a federal judge dismissed the classified documents case against Trump in July 2024, deeming 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,' according to multiple reports. Broader concerns persist within the administration. Patel is often impossible to reach, The Atlantic's sources say, and the consequences of his absence have caused normally level-headed FBI agents to lose it on several occasions.