Following the tragic shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, FBI Director Kash Patel faced intense backlash over his management of the 33-hour manhunt for the suspected killer, Tyler Robinson.

• Steve Bannon, on his “War Room” podcast, lambasted Patel for turning the post-arrest press conference into a “group hug” and failing to provide substantive details about the suspect or the investigation
• Bannon argued that the arrest was largely due to Robinson’s family confronting him and turning him in—not due to law enforcement prowess
• He questioned why Patel flew to Utah “thousands of miles” only to offer vague praise for partnerships, rather than concrete updates
• Patel prematurely announced on X that a suspect was in custody, which was later retracted when it was revealed the person had been released
• The confusion led to widespread frustration, with critics accusing Patel of being “very online” and lacking operational expertise
• Influential figures like Christopher Rufo and Erick Erickson joined Bannon in calling for Patel’s removal, citing poor leadership and communication failures
• A lawsuit from former FBI officials also accused Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino of prioritizing social media optics over investigative rigor