Slate Daily Feed What Next | Can Kash Patel Survive This?
Sep 17, 2025
Quinta Jurecic, a staff writer at The Atlantic, dives deep into the tumultuous state of the FBI amidst growing political pressures. She discusses the implications of appointing leaders like Kash Patel, known for prioritizing loyalty over capability. The conversation reveals frustrations among agents forced to divert resources away from critical investigations. Jurecic also explores the emotional toll of working in a toxic environment and the ethical dilemmas facing bureaucratic institutions today, urging a reflection on the preservation of civil liberties amid rising tensions.
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Episode notes
Resignation Over Political Purge
- Michael Feinberg left the FBI after being sidelined for maintaining a friendship with someone on Kash Patel's enemies list.
- He walked away from pension, health benefits, and income rather than accept being shuffled off and stripped of authority.
FBI Was Functioning—Until Leadership Shift
- Quinta Jurecic says the FBI had been mostly functioning as an apolitical, expert agency before Patel's arrival.
- She notes frustration under Christopher Wray but says the Bureau maintained technocratic norms until recent leadership changes.
Leadership By Performance, Not Expertise
- Lawsuits allege Patel fired agents for political reasons and rewarded loyalty with ostentatious challenge coins.
- Quinta calls Patel's style cartoonish and argues it undermines the Bureau's seriousness and norms.
