Patel faces mounting criticism after bungling arrest announcements whilst dining at exclusive Rao’s in Manhattan, drawing fire from both Democrats and MAGA allies
FBI Director Kash Patel was dining at an upscale New York City restaurant just hours after Charlie Kirk’s murder, the same evening the FBI fumbled the pursuit of his killer not once, but twice.
The 45-year-old former MAGA podcaster turned spy chief has come under mounting scrutiny for the blunders at the bureau following the brutal killing at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Two sources with knowledge of his movements revealed to NBC News that he was actually in New York City that evening, dining at Rao’s, the high-end Italian hotspot that opens at 7pm promptly.
In the chaotic aftermath of the assassination, 71-year-old George Zinn was cuffed and hauled away by police at the scene. Whilst rumours instantly swirled that Zinn may have been the shooting suspect, authorities quickly announced this was not the case and the culprit was still at large.
Then, at 6:21pm Eastern Time, Patel took to X to announce that the “subject” in Kirk’s murder was finally “in custody.” The director wrote: “Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with the FBI.”
But just over an hour later, at 7:59pm, Patel walked back his earlier statement, announcing that the subject “has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement.” At this point, according to NBC News sources, the FBI director was likely already seated at the packed Manhattan hotspot, hundreds of miles from Utah.
“Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency,” he wrote in the post announcing the sudden release of the “suspect.” Meanwhile, the frantic search for the killer continued.
“Amateur Hour” Response Draws Bipartisan Criticism
These consecutive failures thrust Patel into hot water, fuelling growing concerns about his ability to competently manage a case of such high-profile importance. The criticism came not just from Democrats, but from prominent figures within MAGA circles as well.
“It was amateur hour,” Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told HuffPost on Thursday. “He was doing a running commentary. Historically, the FBI keeps its mouth closed until it believes it’s the right time and the right message.”
One law enforcement official described the “horrific event” of Kirk’s murder as a clear demonstration of Patel’s “public inability to meet the moment as a leader,” according to NBC News.
The criticism extended to Trump’s own base. Joe Biggs, a Proud Boys leader who had his 17-year prison sentence commuted by President Trump, publicly excoriated Patel on X. “Stop all this click bait shit you keep doing,” Biggs wrote, tagging Patel. “It’s unbecoming of the office in which you represent and only proves you were a horrible pick for this position.”
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who served during Trump’s first administration, expressed bewilderment at Patel’s decision to travel to Utah. “The presence of the director imposes a huge burden on the field office,” McCabe told CNN. “There’s all kinds of arrangements that have to be made, there’s all kinds of security concerns that arise. Transportation becomes very complicated, and that’s the last thing you want to do to the field office whilst they’re in the middle of investigating a critical incident.”
Exclusive Restaurant Whilst Investigation Floundered
Rao’s, where Patel was reportedly dining, is one of New York City’s most exclusive establishments, founded in 1896 and famous for its ten tightly controlled tables that are permanently reserved for its most loyal clientele. Getting into the restaurant typically requires knowing someone, as the few seats it does have are spoken for by regulars including Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Donald Trump.
The restaurant, located in East Harlem, is as famous for its difficulty in securing a reservation as it is for its lemon chicken and pasta dishes. Historically, it was a favourite spot for notorious mafiosi, including John Gotti and Lucky Luciano. Actor Frank Pellegrino, who played FBI Chief Frank Cubitoso in “The Sopranos,” was a co-owner from 1994 until his death in 2017.
The timing of Patel’s dining experience is particularly damaging. Rao’s opens at 7pm, meaning the FBI director was likely being waited on at the celebrated eatery whilst posting his updates about the investigation. His first incorrect announcement came at 6:21pm, suggesting he may have been waiting to be seated, and his correction at 7:59pm came after the restaurant had opened.
Internal FBI Tensions Exposed
The New York Times reported that Patel berated his subordinates in a tense Thursday morning meeting over their handling of the investigation. More than 200 agents joined the online call, where Patel criticised the agency’s “Mickey Mouse operations” and was incensed that agents in Salt Lake City waited nearly 12 hours to show him a photo of the suspected killer. “It was one of his few utterances without profanity,” according to a person familiar with the exchange.
The criticism of Patel’s leadership extended beyond this single incident. Just two weeks before Kirk’s assassination, Patel had fired the highly regarded head of the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office for reasons that have not been explained. Given that the Kirk shooting happened in Utah, the director’s decision received obvious and unavoidable scrutiny.
Steve Bannon, a former Trump administration adviser, said on his “Bannon’s War Room” show that he didn’t see the shooter’s apprehension as “great law enforcement work.” Speaking directly after Friday’s press conference where the arrest was announced, Bannon questioned: “I don’t know why Kash flew out there, you know, thousands of miles, to give us, ‘Hey, working partnerships and our great partnership in Utah.'”
Arrest Credit Disputed
Tyler Robinson, 22, was ultimately arrested late Thursday night after being turned in by a family member who contacted the family’s pastor, who then alerted law enforcement. Despite the FBI’s very public presence throughout the investigation, it was this family tip that cracked the case, not a breakthrough from federal authorities.
At Friday’s press conference announcing the arrest, Patel delivered an impassioned account, stating: “In 33 hours, we have made historic progress for Charlie.” He concluded with an unusual tribute to Kirk: “Rest now, brother. We have the watch, and I’ll see you in Valhalla.”
The reference to Valhalla, the Norse mythological hall for warriors who die in battle, raised eyebrows given Kirk’s well-documented Christian faith. Journalist Steve Mullis noted: “Patel saying ‘see you in Valhalla’ to someone who very much identified as a Christian is a perfect example of how dumb everything is right now.”
Questions About Leadership
When Trump first announced Patel’s nomination, there was a lengthy list of concerns, starting with Patel’s record as a hyper-partisan conspiracy theorist and his lack of law enforcement experience. These concerns appear to have been validated by his handling of the Kirk investigation.
“After meeting with Mr Patel, reviewing his record, and questioning him at his hearing, I am convinced that he has neither the experience, the judgment, nor the temperament to lead the FBI,” Senator Durbin had said during Patel’s confirmation process.
The White House has defended Patel, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling criticism of him “despicable” and stating that “everyone is supporting him and trying to be as helpful as possible during this effort, including the president of the United States.
However, the damage to Patel’s reputation may be lasting. Mediaite founder Dan Abrams said: “No other FBI director would have done that. It is clear Kash Patel is in way over his head. He is not up to the job of FBI director. This is not a critique of law enforcement. This is a critique of Kash Patel as head of the FBI.”
As the investigation into Kirk’s assassination continues, questions about Patel’s leadership and competence remain. His decision to dine at one of Manhattan’s most exclusive restaurants whilst the manhunt for Kirk’s killer was underway, combined with his bungled social media announcements and confrontational management style, has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum.
The successful arrest of Robinson may provide some relief, but the circumstances surrounding it, with the suspect’s own father turning him in rather than FBI investigative work leading to the capture, continue to fuel doubts about whether Patel is the right person to lead America’s premier law enforcement agency during such turbulent times.
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Image Credit:
Kashyap P. Patel official portrait (17 Nov 2020) — photo by Sgt Keisha Brown / U.S. Army, public domain (U.S. federal government work)
