Patel to be grilled over handling of Charlie Kirk case after rumblings of discontent

Published September 16, 2025 6:00am ET



FBI Director Kash Patel is heading into an intense week on Capitol Hill on the heels of the Charlie Kirk assassination, with two congressional hearings set to place his leadership under the national spotlight amid reports that he could be facing internal friction, despite continued support from President Donald Trump.

Criticism of Patel started last week after he announced on X that Kirk’s alleged killer had been captured before correcting himself in a separate post 90 minutes later. He then reportedly dined at a premier New York restaurant, Rao’s, on Wednesday night, though he was on his way to join federal investigators in Utah the next day, just hours before authorities would have the real suspect in custody.

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