A recent MN Now report sparked speculation that President Donald Trump was considering replacing FBI Director Kash Patel with Andrew Bailey, the bureau’s newly appointed co-deputy director. According to the report, unnamed sources claimed the administration was dissatisfied with Patel’s management of FBI resources and was weighing a leadership change.
However, the White House quickly shut down the story. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the report “completely made up” and shared a photo of Trump and Patel together to prove there is no tension between them. Leavitt added that when Trump saw the headline, he laughed and suggested taking the picture to show Patel remains in good standing.
Who Is Andrew Bailey?
Andrew Bailey, 44, is a former Missouri Attorney General and a decorated U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq. In August 2025, the Trump administration appointed him co-deputy director of the FBI, placing him alongside Dan Bongino, according to a Reuters report.
Bailey is widely known as a staunch Trump ally. During his tenure as Missouri’s top prosecutor, he gained national attention for filing multiple lawsuits against federal policies connected to:
- Immigration
- Drug regulation
- Environmental rules
- Transgender health care
- Other federal mandates
His aggressive legal approach earned him strong support from conservative voters and solidified his standing within the administration.
What Sparked the Rumors?
The MN Now article claimed Patel misused FBI resources for personal reasons. According to the report, Patel allegedly deployed an FBI jet and even SWAT teams to accompany his girlfriend to a public event—actions reportedly costing the agency around $60 million. The story claimed these decisions angered senior officials and pushed the administration to consider replacing him with Bailey.
However, no other credible outlet has confirmed any part of this report. The MN Now article remains the only known source of the allegations.
White House officials dismissed the claims and labeled the report as “fake news.”
White House Reaffirms Support for Kash Patel
In a statement, Karoline Leavitt emphasized that Patel remains a key member of the President’s team. She said Patel is working “tirelessly to restore integrity to the FBI” and reiterated that there are no plans to remove him.
Any formal attempt to replace an FBI director would face intense legal, political, and institutional scrutiny, making such a move highly unlikely without clear justification.
