A top White House official told Politico's Dasha Burns that FBI Director Kash Patel is likely the next Trump Cabinet-level official to go.
"It's only a matter of time," the official said, citing the volume of negative stories surrounding Patel as "not a good look for a Cabinet secretary" and adding that Trump is "fed up with the level of distraction."
The report sent Kalshi market odds on Patel's departure surging. The market for Kash Patel out as FBI Director now shows a 33% chance he's out before May 1, 67% before June 1, and 77% before July 1.
Among those who may leave their role in the Trump administration this year, Patel's odds now sit at 90.9%.
The Atlantic report
Patel's exit odds started to climb in mid-April when The Atlantic's Sarah Fitzpatrick published a report citing several sources inside the FBI about Patel's drinking habits on the job.
The report opened with an anecdote allegedly showing how Patel thinks his days may be numbered within the Trump administration. Patel found himself locked out of an internal computer system on April 10, causing him to become "convinced that he had been locked out, and he panicked, frantically calling aides and allies to announce that he had been fired by the White House, according to nine people familiar with his outreach."
The Atlantic story also cited sources who claimed that Patel has been drunk on the job on several occasions, causing him to delay key meetings, miss time-sensitive operations, and be unreachable.
Patel’s response and lawsuit
When The Atlantic reached out to Patel and the FBI for a response on these allegations, they received a threatening statement that read, "Print it, all false, I'll see you in court – bring your checkbook."
The New Republic reported that Patel followed through on that threat by filing a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic for $250 million, claiming the story was "replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy Director Patel's reputation and drive him from office."
The Atlantic responded by stating, "We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit."
Patel was also combative with reporters when asked about the allegations and assertions made in his lawsuit. During a press briefing on Wednesday, a reporter asked him about the computer lockout incident he cited in his lawsuit. He denied the assertion and accused the reporter of "lying."
"It's simply as follows: I was never locked out of my systems," Patel said.
Prior arrests
Following the filing of his lawsuit, The Intercept's Trevor Aaronson uncovered two prior arrests involving alcohol in Patel's criminal history. Patel had disclosed both incidents himself in a 2005 letter to the Florida Bar Association.
In 2001, Patel was arrested for public intoxication after being escorted out of a basketball game while he was an underage student at the University of Richmond in Virginia. He paid a fine after being found guilty of a misdemeanor.
The second arrest occurred while Patel was a law student at Pace University in New York. He was celebrating with friends at bars and, according to the letter, "we attempted to relieve our bladders while walking home." Patel was arrested for public urination and paid a fine. He described both incidents as "not representative of my usual conduct of behavior."
The takeaway:
Kalshi markets now predict:
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