What Next | Daily News and Analysis Can Kash Patel Survive This?
8 snips
Sep 17, 2025 Quinta Jurecic, a staff writer at The Atlantic focused on legal challenges and the FBI, joins to discuss the fallout from Kash Patel's controversial leadership. They explore the dangers of politically motivated reassignments within the FBI and the impact on democratic integrity. Jurecic raises concerns about loyalty over capability, revealing the challenges agents face and the troubling shift in the Bureau's values. The conversation highlights the risks of authoritarian governance styles and their chaotic implications for institutions.
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Agent Forced Out By Political Loyalty
- Michael Feinberg left the FBI after being sidelined and told he'd lose investigative authority and promotions over an associateship.
- He walked away from pension, benefits, and income because he felt he could no longer serve effectively.
FBI Shifting From Technocracy To Politics
- Quinta Jurecic says the FBI previously functioned as an apolitical, technocratic agency doing sensitive work.
- She observes that leadership under Kash Patel quickly shifted tone and priorities after he took charge.
Performance Trumps Profession
- The leadership transition included politicized firings and public performative gestures like oversized challenge coins.
- Those moves undermine professional norms and signal loyalty over competence.
