President Donald Trump’s FBI Director Kash Patel is facing withering criticism over how he bungled the investigation into the death of right-wing political pundit and conservative media personality Charlie Kirk at an outdoor speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday.
He’s also being roasted online for his apparent cluelessness at the press conferences in Utah during the investigation.
The suspect is now in custody but it’s no thanks to Patel. A friend recognized 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah and contacted Robinson’s father, who then contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, according to NBC News.
At a press conference Friday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said investigators arrested Robinson after analyzing surveillance recordings, talking with Robinson’s family and reviewing online messages between the suspect and his roommate.
Patel was also at the press conference that came after a two-day manhunt involving local, state and federal authorities but former FBI insiders and other officials have said Patel’s handling of the investigation from the start has been filled with missteps and errors.
In a video of the Thursday’s press conference in Utah, Patel is seen looking noticeably uncomfortable as he appears to wonder what he should be doing.
“No idea where to go & what to do. Get out of the way Dufus,” Threads user Colin Pearce noted. Another asked if he was lost.
“He had no clue!” another added. “This guy has no idea what his job is or how to handle it. That is frightening,” social media user Bob Nakai speculated. Another added that Kash has “Not a f. King clue what’s going on!”
“I love that no one is paying any attention to him,” Threads user Todd Ionta posted with a laughing emoji.
The former federal prosecutor’s first fumble happened shortly after Kirk was gunned down when Patel took to social media claiming that “the subject” had been taken into custody, a historic blunder for an FBI director.
“The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody. Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with @fbi,” Patel bragged.
But the story changed within hours with Patel correcting himself, also on social media, for such a major stumble in a federal investigation of this magnitude.
“The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency,” he stated on X.
But while Patel was noticeably silent on social media about the investigation after that, social media was anything but silent about Patel’s antics and public appearance so far in the investigation.
“This is our FBI Director. He’s a podcaster assigned to the FBI,” this Threads user declared.
Part of Patel’s problem on the job could be that he’s fired most veteran FBI officials, including the head of the agency’s Utah division, leaving him with few career professionals to help him navigate such a complex federal agency.
The other part of his problem?
Threads user David J. McCarthy sums it up nicely, “If nothing else, it’s pretty obvious that Kash is in the throes of a well-deserved bout of imposter syndrome.”
At a press conference in early August with Trump and other Cabinet members announcing the deployment of the National Guard in a crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C., Patel sparked an online uproar when he appeared nervous and agitated with bulging eyes and an anxious demeanor.
While announcing Robinson’s capture, Patel was quick to praise his team in a grandiose manner similar to Trump and even closed with a promise to see Kirk again in Vahalla.
“This is what happens when you let good cops be cops,” he said. Adding that they captured the killer in this “historic investigation” in a record 33 hours and was on the scene of the crime within 16 minutes.
The attempt at giving himself praise didn’t land well on social media.
“Kash Patel: “This historic investigation, it took us only 32 hours to get him”
My dude, you arrested the wrong person TWICE, and then his own dad turned him into you before you even knew what state he was in, let alone his name,” said Sargonas.
Noah stung Patel with some sarcasm, “I criticized Kash Patel yesterday for botching this investigation but I have to give credit where credit is due, despite arresting the wrong guy twice, not locking down the airport, allowing the crime scene to get compromised, leaking incorrect info about the bullets and the gun, and firing the competent head of the FBI in Utah, they still managed to arrest the shooter in under 32 hours (after he was turned in by his cop father). But at least they managed to put the handcuffs on correctly.”
The really kicker was when Governor Cox openly admitted that he prayed for 33 hours hoping the shooter was from another state or another country because ‘we’re not like that.” Many called his admission bigotted and “weird’”
”Wow, that’s a racist thing to say,” said one viewer.
The comment made many take notice of Patel’s uncomfortable shifting in the background.
”Zoom in on Kash even he’s thinking wtf,” observed a viewer.
“He’s talking about you in the back …sir ,” added another.
Meantime, a probable cause affidavit shows Robinson is facing charges that include aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice in the shooting death of Kirk.
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