FBI Director Kash Patel Denies False Reports of Russia Trip
FBI Director Kash Patel and the White House condemned MS NOW after the network falsely reported he traveled to Russia for meetings with the FSB.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the White House condemned MS NOW on Wednesday after the network falsely reported that FBI Director Kash Patel had traveled to Russia for meetings with the Federal Security Service in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The report, cited by anchor Peter Alexander and reporter Ken Dilanian, relied on unnamed sources claiming Patel had landed in Russia for a two-day visit.
The FBI quickly debunked the claims via its Rapid Response account, providing social media posts and video evidence from an ABC News affiliate showing Patel was actually in Lynchburg, Virginia. Evidence from Representative John McGuire further confirmed Patel was attending a law enforcement appreciation event at Liberty University. MS NOW subsequently retracted the report on-air, stating the network regrets the error.
Director Kash Patel accused the network of spreading falsehoods and demanded an apology to the FBI and the American people. The White House characterized the network as a total disgrace and accused them of lying.
Separately, Patel is facing allegations of manipulating crime statistics to support the political narrative of the Donald Trump administration. Critics suggest figures claiming a 90 percent increase in violent criminal arrests were inflated by including state and local agency data. The FBI has defended its records, attributing a decline in criminal referrals to a historic nationwide drop in violent crime and murder rates.
