‘A person who’s easily manipulated’: AOC takes a dig at Kash Patel, and says his alleged intemperance is ‘absolutely’ a national security threat

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Monday labeled FBI Director Kash Patel a person who is easily manipulated, marking a sharp escalation in the public scrutiny surrounding his leadership at the bureau. This criticism follows recent reports detailing allegations of excessive drinking and erratic behavior, which the New York Democrat argues pose a clear risk to the safety of the country.

Ocasio-Cortez made her stance clear during a conversation with MeidasTouch reporter Pablo Manríquez, where she emphasized that the director’s alleged intemperance is absolutely a national security threat. The comments from Ocasio-Cortez center on specific incidents that have gained public attention, including reports of Patel’s conduct following the men’s Olympic hockey championships. She noted that seeing a high-ranking official allegedly hurling bottles into the air is not just embarrassing, but it highlights a fundamental lack of judgment that leaves him vulnerable.

As she explained, if an individual in such a sensitive position is conducting themselves in this compromised way in public, it creates openings for blackmail and kompromat. She firmly concluded that he should be out of that seat, citing the potential for maligned actors to exploit this behavior.

This intense focus on Patel’s personal conduct stems from a report titled The FBI Director Is MIA, published by The Atlantic this past Friday

The article, written by reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, paints a concerning picture of the director’s time at the agency. According to the report, which cites conversations with more than two dozen people including current and former FBI officials and members of Congress, Patel has consumed alcohol to the point of obvious intoxication in front of White House officials and other staff. Perhaps even more concerning are the claims from members of his own security detail.

These sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information, stated that they had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated. They explicitly described his tenure as a management failure and his personal behavior as a national security vulnerability.

The report also detailed an incident from earlier this month where Patel allegedly panicked after a failed attempt to log in to an internal computer system. Nine people familiar with the matter told the outlet that he was convinced he had been locked out of the system. He was reportedly frantically calling aides and allies to announce that he had been fired by the White House, an event that two of those sources described as a freak-out.

Patel has responded to these allegations with aggressive legal action. On Monday, he filed a lawsuit against the magazine seeking $250 million in damages. The legal filing argues that the sources for the report were not in a position to know the facts and were animated by hostility.

The suit further claims that the publication never interviewed Patel or gave him a meaningful opportunity to address the charges in his own words. According to the lawsuit, this was not just negligence but a deliberate and malicious smear. The document also highlights Patel’s record as director, pointing to crime statistics and the capture of fugitives as evidence of his effectiveness.

Prior to filing the suit, Patel took to X on Friday night to issue a warning to the publication. He told the outlet he would see them and their entire entourage of false reporting in court. He added that they should keep at it with the fake news, suggesting that the actual malice standard is now what some would call a legal lay up.

Despite the firestorm, not everyone in government agrees with the assessment of Patel’s performance. Rep. Rich McCormick, a Republican from Georgia, defended the director when speaking to Manríquez. McCormick stated that he did not know anything about the director’s drinking and that he believes Patel is executing his job brilliantly up to this point. He noted that as long as the behavior does not affect his job in a negative way, he is cool with it.

The magazine has maintained its position throughout the controversy. A spokesperson for the outlet confirmed on Monday that they stand by Fitzpatrick’s reporting and intend to vigorously defend the publication and its journalists against what they described as a meritless lawsuit.