FBI chief Kash Patel losing his job due to drinking problem? He reacts to report with lawsuit

According to the report, officials have said Patel's drinking problem is a recurring concern and that he is "rightly paranoid" about losing his job.

FBI director Kash Patel, according to a report, was recently "freaked out" over suspicions that he has been fired by the White House. Sarah Fitzpatrick of The Atlantic reported that last week, Patel was unable to log into an internal computer system which convinced him that he was another victim of the "purge" in the Trump administration.

People close to Patel are said to have witnessed his behaviour after the login trouble, and have stated that he is "paranoid" about losing his job. He obviously has not been fired and the access problem was a technical error, but there are current officials who are allegedly not very optimistic about his future in the bureau.

"We’re all just waiting for the word," a senior official told The Atlantic hinting as his potential ouster.

The publication has learned from insiders that Patel is allegedly a heavy drinker, describing him as "erratic" and someone who is suspicious of others and prone to jumping to conclusions without any substantial evidence.

There have reportedly been instances when Patel was inebriated and meetings had to be rescheduled. Several officials reportedly told The Atlantic that his drinking problem has been a cause for concern.

Amidst all these claims, the White House seems to be backing Patel and highlighting his contributions in reduction of domestic crime. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently said that crime in the US "has plummeted to the lowest level in more than 100 years," with Patel as the FBI chief.

Patel himself has lashed out over "fake hit pieces" against him and threatened to sue The Atlantic.

Kash Patel sues The Atlantic

Patel and his legal team have filed a lawsuit against Fitzpatrick and The Atlantic over the "intoxication claims" in her report which they say is "fabricated."

"See you and your entire entourage of false reporting in court... But do keep at it with the fake news, actual malice standard is now what some would call a legal lay up," Patel posted on X.

Fitzpatrick appeared on The Briefing with Jen Psaki and said that she "stands by every word" of her reporting.

She also said that the response by Patel and the administration is "very telling" because Patel is "going after people with polygraphs in ways that has never happened at the bureau."

"For it to be this level of alarm, this is people genuinely concerned that America is in danger as a result of this conduct," Fitzpatrick said.