Slate News What Next | Can Kash Patel Survive This?
Sep 17, 2025
Quinta Jurecic, a staff writer at The Atlantic, explores the turmoil within the FBI as leadership undergoes drastic changes. She discusses the implications of appointing leaders based on loyalty rather than capability, raising concerns about the agency's effectiveness. The conversation reveals how shifts in focus, particularly towards immigration over critical investigations, frustrate agents. Jurecic also examines the public’s perception of the FBI amidst political strife, questioning the integrity and future of the Bureau under current pressures.
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Agent Quit Rather Than Be Sidelined
- Michael Feinberg left the FBI after being sidelined for maintaining a friendship with someone on Patel's enemies list.
- He walked away from pension, health benefits, and income rather than accept an impotent desk role.
Make Institutional Problems Public
- Be transparent about institutional decline and listen to insiders raising alarms.
- Public awareness is crucial because the American people don't yet grasp 'just how bad it actually is,' says Michael Feinberg.
Bureau Was Functioning But Strained
- The FBI used to operate as a technocratic, apolitical organization with agents quietly doing complex investigations.
- That equilibrium was already strained by political spotlight and leadership weakness before Kash Patel arrived.
