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FBI Director Kash Patel faces criticism for posting updates on Charlie Kirk’s murder while dining at a New York restaurant.
FBI Director Kash Patel
FBI Director Kash Patel is facing mounting criticism after he posted updates on social media about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk while reportedly dining at the famed New York restaurant Rao’s.
The Italian eatery, located in East Harlem, is one of the city’s hardest-to-book restaurants and begins operations at 7 pm, NBC News reported. At 6:21 pm on Thursday, Kash Patel posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the “subject” in Kirk’s killing was “in custody.” Hours later, at 7:59 pm, he updated again, saying the suspect had been released after interrogation.
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Backlash From Former FBI Officials
Retired FBI agent Dan Brunner told Reuters, “What he did yesterday has never been done by any FBI director before him, or any division leadership before. The investigators need to sort through all the initial intelligence before putting out factual evidence. FBI does not run investigations on social media.”
A law enforcement official quoted by NBC said the Charlie Kirk probe underscored Kash Patel’s “public inability to meet the moment as a leader.”
White House Splits On Kash Patel’s Conduct
An anonymous White House source told Reuters that Kash Patel’s public posts were “unprofessional and unacceptable.” However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the FBI chief, calling the criticism “despicable” and insisting that “everyone is supporting him and trying to be as helpful as possible during this effort, including the president of the United States.”
The FBI issued a statement stressing that it had worked with Utah authorities to apprehend the suspect, saying, “We will continue to be transparent with the American people with real-time updates as we are able.”
Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot dead on Wednesday in Utah.
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
September 13, 2025, 20:31 IST
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