FBI Director Kash Patel faced mounting criticism after mishandling the manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s assassin.
Just hours after Kirk was killed at Utah Valley University, Patel dined at Rao’s, a high-end Italian restaurant in New York City.
He posted on X that a “subject” in the murder was in custody. Hours later, he walked back the statement, saying the person had been released.
Sources confirmed Patel was in New York at the time, hundreds of miles from Utah, as the FBI fumbled the investigation.
Meanwhile, 71-year-old George Zinn was briefly detained at the scene before being released. Authorities confirmed he was not connected to the killing.
Patel’s initial announcement created confusion as law enforcement scrambled to locate the true suspect.
The FBI’s errors drew harsh reactions from officials and the public, as the Daily Mail reported.
“Our investigation continues, and we will release information in the interest of transparency,” Patel said after retracting his earlier post.
Conservative activist Chris Rufo criticized Patel on X. “He performed terribly in the last few days, and it’s not clear whether he has the operational expertise to investigate, infiltrate, and disrupt violent movements,” Rufo wrote.
Senator Dick Durbin called Patel’s handling “amateur hour.” He