Overview

• Patel is scheduled to testify Tuesday and Wednesday before the Senate and House judiciary committees on the Kirk case and his leadership of the bureau.
• He posted on X that a suspect was in custody, then retracted the claim; the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, was later identified and arrested.
• President Donald Trump praised the bureau for the speed of identifying and capturing Robinson.
• Conservative figures including Christopher F. Rufo and Erick Erickson questioned Patel’s qualifications, with some far-right groups ridiculing his response.
• A lawsuit from three fired FBI senior executives accuses the Trump administration of retribution, with plaintiff Brian Driscoll alleging he was removed after challenging leadership decisions.