As we told you earlier, FBI Director Kash Patel has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic after they published this hit piece over the weekend:
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/3lKRvcDR38
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) April 20, 2026
The story cites a couple dozen sources, and ALL of them are anonymous. Skeptical yet? We've seen this "TDS journalism" circus before.
Here's more about Patel's lawsuit:
The 19-page lawsuit, filed in the District of Columbia, is seeking $250 million in damages. Sarah Fitzpatrick, the reporter who wrote the story, is also named as a defendant.
Patel and the FBI have repeatedly denied allegations in the story, which included allegations that Patel often drinks to excess. The piece, which cited multiple unnamed current and former officials, also said that Patel's "irregular presence at FBI headquarters and in field offices" has delayed "time-sensitive decisions" that require the FBI director's input.
The lawsuit listed 17 allegations in the article that Patel's legal team alleges were "false and defamatory statements of fact," including that he "is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication."
"Each of the foregoing statements and implications is false. They are so demonstrably and obviously false, or easily refuted, that it was at best reckless to publish them," the suit said.
Brian Stelter said there were a couple of points worth underscoring:
It's worth underscoring that @S_Fitzpatrick said she interviewed "more than two dozen people" about Kash Patel's conduct, "including current and former FBI officials, staff at law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, hospitality-industry workers, members of Congress, political… pic.twitter.com/ppfhFqptH5
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 20, 2026
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You'd think a serious "journalist" would wonder why, if Patel had such a problem, why it never came up -- either by Democrats or in media reports -- until he was made the FBI director.
Richard Grenell had one question about something Stelter said, along with a couple other comments:
Not a single on the record source.
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) April 20, 2026
How would former officials know?
You are a fraud, which is why your initials are BS. https://t.co/InYJM0bIwR
And why especially would a former official not want his or her name used if they're no longer with the FBI? Perhaps they have an ax to grind but a pension to think about.
Stelter don't care, his own books exclusively use anonymous sources, that were easily discredited.
— RoadMN (@RoadMN) April 20, 2026
Hey, there aren't any people who would anonymously tell lies about the Trump administration, are there? Apparently Stelter and other "journalists" are just willing to give unnamed people the benefit of the doubt all the time as long as it's something negative about somebody on Trump's side.
Gosh, one would think at least one person would put his or her name to the accusation. With cell phone cameras a picture or correspondence showing a cancelled meeting or event attendance.
— Steve Wilson (@wilstv) April 20, 2026
Instead my source - "because I said so" 😂🤥🤡 pic.twitter.com/eicTP8ygas
We're supposed to believe the media's "anonymous sources" when even the ones they quote by name will lie about anything and everything.
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Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives, while running cover for the Democrats.
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