FBI’s Patel faces US congressional hearings after Kirk death probe missteps

FBI Director Kash Patel is bracing for United States congressional scrutiny over his leadership of the investigation into the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, following early reported missteps, including his erroneous announcement on social media that “the subject” in the killing was in custody.

Patel is set to appear on Tuesday and Wednesday before the Senate and House judiciary committees, during which he is expected to answer questions not just about how the FBI handled the Kirk case, but also whether he can stabilise an agency fragmented by political fights and internal upheaval since his appointment, as toxic political divisions plague the nation.
US President Donald Trump praised Patel on Saturday for the speed with which the bureau identified and captured Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson.

But that has not stopped criticism even from fellow conservatives, who have started to wonder if Patel is qualified to head the country’s top law enforcement body of 38,000 employees, including 13,000 agents.

In a statement posted on X on Friday, Christopher F Rufo, a fellow at the conservative think tank Manhattan Institute, wrote that it was “time for Republicans to assess whether Kash Patel is the right man to run the FBI”.

“He performed terribly in the last few days, and it’s not clear whether he has the operational expertise to investigate, infiltrate, and disrupt the violent movements — of whatever ideology — that threaten the peace in the United States,” he added.