‘Bring Your Checkbook’: Kash Patel Tells The Atlantic He'll See Them in Court

The Atlantic on Friday published a hit piece on FBI Director Kash Patel, accusing him of being drunk on the job to the extent that members of his security detail have had trouble rousing him from blackouts.

Kash Patel’s colleagues are alarmed by what they say is erratic behavior and excessive drinking, Sarah Fitzpatrick reports. More than two dozen people she spoke with described his management failures and conduct that could harm national security. https://t.co/v8TIBbtBOV
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) April 18, 2026

Investigative reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick said she spoke to more than two dozen people, none of whom went on record.

I spoke to 2 dozen people familiar with Patel’s conduct for this story, many of whom described it as a national security vulnerability. In response to 19 detailed questions, Patel said: “Print it, all false. I’ll see you in court - bring your checkbook.” https://t.co/QDkdT4KPfZ
— Sarah Fitzpatrick (@S_Fitzpatrick) April 17, 2026

Not surprisingly, MS NOW's Jen Psaki had on Fitzpatrick to talk about the story and called Patel's "bring your checkbook" line "graceful and eloquent," followed by a chef's kiss.

Psaki: Patel's advisor said a lawsuit is being filed.

Fitzpatrick: I stand by every word of this reporting. We have excellent attorneys. pic.twitter.com/BHBMHkV9ss
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 18, 2026

You may have excellent attorneys. However, what you did not have was a single on-the-record source. https://t.co/7ugXQhjWlG
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) April 18, 2026

Patel did indeed fire back:

Memo to the fake news - the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop. Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 18, 2026

Several officials told me that Patel’s drinking has been a recurring source of concern across the government. They said that he is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication, in many cases at the private club Ned’s in Washington, D.C., while in the presence of White House and other administration staff. He is also known to drink to excess at the Poodle Room, in Las Vegas, where he frequently spends parts of his weekends. Early in his tenure, meetings and briefings had to be rescheduled for later in the day as a result of his alcohol-fueled nights, six current and former officials and others familiar with Patel’s schedule told me.
On multiple occasions in the past year, members of his security detail had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated, according to information supplied to Justice Department and White House officials. A request for “breaching equipment”—normally used by SWAT and hostage-rescue teams to quickly gain entry into buildings—was made last year because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors, according to multiple people familiar with the request.

Bullshit. Absolute bullshit.
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) April 18, 2026

That's former Deputy Co-Director of the FBI Dan Bongino. Patel had other backers come forward.

Hey @S_Fitzpatrick I was Kash Patel’s Sherpa on the transition. I spent nearly all day everyday with him for 3+ months and have been with him frequently since.

I have never seen the type of behavior that you’re describing from him.

Your anon sourced story is BS.

Oh and by the… https://t.co/hwWnUrYrKT pic.twitter.com/T0EUhyKbq0
— Clint Brown (@DissidentClint) April 18, 2026

The post continues:

… way, it was no pressure campaign that got Kash confirmed. He did his homework, studied every brief I wrote him (and I wrote them all personally). If I sent him material at say 2am, he would respond with questions by 3am. He was always available and never hard to reach. Ultimately, he addressed any concerns senators had. He studied the law enforcement issues in each of their states and came prepared with plans, ideas, and questions for addressing the unique law enforcement needs of each state. THAT is who Kash Patel is and it’s why the FBI has been so effective in the last year.
I’ve never once seen him over drink. Not once. You are spinning that narrative because you know POTUS doesn’t view that favorably, even admitted as much in your story.
And I’m not hard to find. Pretty obvious why you didn’t reach out to me for comment.

The Atlantic published a "bombshell" on Director Patel tonight that every real DC reporter chased, couldn't verify, and passed on.

Here's reality. Since being sworn in, Director Patel has taken a grand total of 17 days off — half as much time off as Comey and Wray — and he…
— Erica Knight (@_EricaKnight) April 17, 2026

The post continues:

… spends twice as much time in the office as either of them ever did. The so-called "intoxication incidents" The Atlantic breathlessly reports have happened exactly ZERO times. Under his tenure: 67,000 arrests nationwide. Violent crime arrests up 112%. Murder rate down 20%. 1,800 criminal gangs dismantled. 2,200+ kilos of fentanyl seized — enough to kill 178 million Americans. 300 human traffickers arrested. 6,200+ missing children recovered. 1,700 online predators arrested — a 490% increase. 8 of the Top Ten Most Wanted captured, double the previous four years combined. 1,000+ agents redeployed from DC bureaucracy back to field offices chasing criminals.
The Atlantic's "reporting"? Fabricated stories about "breaching equipment" that was never requested. Intoxication claims with not a single witness willing to put their name on one. A paragraph — I'm not kidding — about the FBI Store not carrying "intimidating enough" merchandise. Every serious DC reporter passed on this. Sarah Fitzpatrick and Jeffrey Goldberg printed it anyway.
Lawsuit is being filed.

If Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey "Suckers and Losers" Goldbereg printed it, it must be true.

Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon says The Atlantic did a hit piece on her last week.

They did a trash hit piece on me a week ago. They’ll hit someone else
who is effective in the admin next week.

The last gasps of the degraded legacy media?

Stay frosty, my friends in the admin who are doing their jobs without regard for the peanut gallery! I see you! https://t.co/Mu3rZvQpfv
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@HarmeetKDhillon) April 18, 2026

I’m loving all the lawsuits against the media since 2025. Every single outlet paid out. Gonna love this one too 🤣
— SeldenGADawgs (@SeldenGADawgs) April 18, 2026

You all couldn’t report Swalwell was a rapist for 10 years.

Amazing.
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) April 18, 2026

I spoke with 51 former intelligence officials and they said Sarah is a deep state hack.
— Jim Muessig (@JimMuessig) April 18, 2026

Another sacrificial lamb for the left. Kash’s attorneys will completely destroy this woman, but the smear is released and thats all that matters to the puppet masters.
— TEACH 🏴‍☠️🥃🗡🗡 (@WoodbyTeach) April 18, 2026

That's sort of The Atlantic's bomb-throwing modus operandi … get some outrageous claim out there and then wait for the lawsuit.

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Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.

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