We’re back to this again: the anonymous sources who might be the custodian. Who knows. It’s a shame, to be honest. I have no issues with the principle of using such sources: Deep Throat turned out to be Mark Felt, deputy director of the FBI, who gave The Washington Post’s Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward invaluable information on the Watergate Scandal. Sadly, the quality of such folks has degraded, and it’s reached a point where one should be highly skeptical of them, because they’ve been brutally wrong repeatedly.
Take the Kash Patel news—he’s supposedly on the chopping block. The media is running with a poorly sourced piece from The Atlantic that he’s a drunkard; Patel’s legal team has filed a lawsuit. It was written by a former NBC News reporter who trotted out the Julie Swetnick hoax during the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation process.
Kash Patel’s negative press is “not a good look for a Cabinet secretary,” and Trump is getting restless about it, says the source. Yeah, the FBI director is not a cabinet position. Who said this (via Politico):
NEW: A top White House official tells me that Kash Patel is likely the next Cabinet-level official to go.
— Dasha Burns (@DashaBurns) April 25, 2026
“It’s only a matter of time,” the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, told me.
There are several reasons, the official said, but top among… pic.twitter.com/FUKftCuZNg
Things aren’t looking great for FBI Director Kash Patel.
Speculation ramped up this week over which ranking administration chief will go next after Pentagon head Pete Hegseth ousted his Navy secretary — with President Donald Trump’s blessing. Now, a top White House official tells Dasha that Patel is likely the next Cabinet-level official to go.
“It’s only a matter of time,” the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, said of the FBI director.
There are several reasons, the official said, but top among them is the number of negative stories centered on the FBI director is “not a good look for a Cabinet secretary,” and Trump is fed up with the level of distraction.
Earlier this month, The Atlantic published a story recounting allegations that Patel had episodes of “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences.” Patel denied the allegations and sued The Atlantic for defamation. The New York Times reported in February that Patel instructed FBI agents to provide a full-time security detail for his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins. The FBI told The Times she needed the protection because she faced death threats.
The FBI declined to comment on Patel’s future. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “Under President Trump and Director Patel’s leadership at the FBI, crime across the country has plummeted to the lowest level in more than 100 years and many high profile criminals have been put behind bars. Director Patel remains a critical player on the Administration’s law and order team.”
Of course, the usual caveats apply: Trump is known to change his mind frequently. But if the president wants to project he’s shaking up his Cabinet ahead of the midterms, now’s the time. Trump already fired AG Pam Bondi, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Labor chief Lori Chavez-DeRemer in this latest purge ahead of the all-important November midterms.
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Yes, things can change, but until that’s the official story, quit citing unnamed sources who think the FBI director is a cabinet position.
LOL:
NEW 🚨 Top staff inside Politico tell me Dasha Burns is soon be out of a job.
— J (@JayTC53) April 25, 2026
"It's only a matter of time" anonymous sources tell me.
"Her drinking and frequent drug use is a problem" anonymous sources tell me.
Is that how it's done @DashaBurns ? pic.twitter.com/rPOpPoKS3T
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