Kash Patel is once again under scrutiny—this time after shots rang out steps away from President Donald Trump and top administration officials.
The embattled FBI was seen appearing to linger aimlessly in a video captured after a man exchanged gunfire with Secret Service at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday.
In the footage captured by ABC News Journalist Linsey Davis, Patel is standing agape outside the Washington Hilton.
“Kash Patel standing around outside after the shooting like a random attendee and not the literal FBI Director is actually crazy,” Eric Spracklen, a rightwing political commentator, shared with his almost 300,000 followers in a post on X.
Other videos show Patel, who was a guest of the Daily Mail, crouched to the ground inside the venue, looking seemingly dumbfounded.
“There is a shooting and…The head of the FBI is just hanging out?” another X user wrote in a post that has racked up 850,000 views as of publication.
Patel was seen being ushered out of the Hilton through the front lobby at 10:02 p.m., about 90 minutes after shots were fired, The Washington Post reported. His girlfriend, who was also invited by the Mail, was hiding in a room holding hands with another man but later left with Patel, the New York Times reported.
The director joined Trump and other administration officials for a press conference at the White House later on Saturday, where he said the bureau he presides over is examining shell casings from the scene and interviewing witnesses from the dinner. The 46-year-old also urged anyone with information to contact the FBI.
Patel also lavished the president —who is reportedly considering firing him—with praise, telling Trump during the briefing he “inspire[s]” law enforcement.
“You give them the resources that they need, and you know, they know that you have their back, and that is a changing dynamic in this country,” Patel said to Trump, who patted him on the back.
The gunman attempted to storm the ballroom where Trump had been seated at the dais alongside Melania. Five to eight shots were fired, CBS reported, as Trump, Vance, and several Cabinet officials were escorted out. Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday that officials believe the suspect, identified by reports as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was “targeting administration officials.”
Jeff Carroll, interim chief of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives. Allen will be charged with one count each of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
As for Patel, it’s not the first time he’s been criticized for doing, well, nothing amid a high-profile investigation.
In February, Patel was seen celebrating Team USA’s gold medal victory over Canada at the Winter Olympics in Milan—on the same day an armed intruder was shot outside Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Video footage shows Patel leading locker-room celebrations, belting out chants, chugging beers with players, and phoning the president himself.
Just days ago, the Trump appointee filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic after a report citing more than two dozen anonymous sources alleged Patel has a drinking problem so severe it could “threaten national security,” along with erratic, paranoid behavior. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
If the motive is confirmed, this would be one of several attempts on the 79-year-old president’s life. Less than two years ago, the president was whisked away from a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a bullet grazed his ear. One rallygoer was killed and two others were critically injured.
There, law enforcement was hammered for critical security lapses that allowed a gunman to be within shooting distance of the then-presidential candidate. Saturday’s incident is now raising similar questions.
