FBI director Kash Patel, recently summoned to the White House after an angry Senate Republican demand he explain his luxury lifestyle, faces a looming threat next week from within the Trump administration, MS NOW analysts argued Saturday morning.
MS NOW reporter Jackie Alemany — among the first to reveal the White House’s frustration with the embattled FBI director — noted one source told her the pending confirmation of acting Attorney Todd Blanche could spell trouble.
“He isn’t going anywhere right now,” Alemany said. “That could potentially change after Todd Blanche’s confirmation.”
MS NOW legal analyst Kristy Greenberg, a former New York federal prosecutor, agreed, basing her opinion on past experiences working alongside Blanche.
The former prosecutor admitted a begrudging respect for Blanche’s professionalism even if she could not approve of the work he’s done for President Donald Trump.
“He actually knows how to do the job, said Greenberg. “I don’t agree with how he has done the job, but he knows how to do the job … Kash Patel has no idea what he’s doing. He’s too busy on his jet skis.”
The White House has denied Alemany’s report that it is “frustrated with Kash Patel” — over antics that included a vulgar tweet directed at MS NOW — with a comment from communications director Steven Cheung.
“There has been no frustration over his tweet this morning,” wrote Cheung. “I reposted his tweet. Other White House officials reposted his tweet. Him calling MSNOW (expletive) is an accurate description of their (expletive) reporting.”
But Alemany suggested Saturday that the White House continues to support Patel publicly because of the scandal-laden FBI director’s continued loyalty to Trump.
“He is acting on the president’s major, main priority, the most animating force of this administration, which is investigating and relitigating the 2020 election,” said Alemany. “That being said, it seems like he, Patel, is butting up against some more pushback here.”
And he’ll face more pushback from Blanche, Alemany predicted in her response to Greenberg’s comment that Patel was “frankly acting like a buffoon.”
Replied Alemany, “I’m not sure Todd Blanche is happy.”