So, another one bites the dust at the FBI, huh? This time it's Steven Palmer, apparently ousted for the unforgivable sin of... existing while Kash Patel got roasted online for his "official" trips to see his country singer girlfriend. Give me a break.
The Patel Purge Continues
Let's be real, this ain't about jet logs or travel expenses. This is about loyalty. Or, more accurately, about Patel's ego and his need to punish anyone he perceives as a threat—or, in this case, anyone even tangentially related to his public image getting a well-deserved drubbing.
Palmer is the THIRD head of the critical incident response group—you know, the guys who handle hostage rescues and bomb threats—to get the boot under Patel's "leadership." Third! That's not a trend; that's a damn purge. Wes Wheeler, Brian Driscoll... now Palmer. What, is Patel running the FBI like it's his personal fiefdom?
Driscoll is even suing, claiming he was targeted for not being "loyal" enough to the president. I mean, come on. Is this the FBI or the freaking Trump Organization?
And the reason Palmer got canned? Because Patel got his feelings hurt when people on social media noticed he was using an FBI jet to go see his girlfriend sing the national anthem at a wrestling match. The dude even reposted photos of himself at the event! Talk about tone-deaf.
The official line is that FBI directors have to use government aircraft for security reasons. Okay, maybe. But flying to State College, Pennsylvania, to catch a country music gig? That stretches the definition of "official business" thinner than Patel's excuses. FBI Ousts Leader as Patel Fumes Over Attention to Agency Jet Use.
Baffled Bureaucrats and Red Flags
The best part? The sources in the article are "baffled" as to why Patel would blame Palmer for the travel details. Baffled! As if it's some great mystery. Here's a clue: Patel is deflecting. He doesn't want to take responsibility for his own bad choices, so he's finding a scapegoat. And Palmer, as the head of aviation, was the convenient target.
It's like blaming your IT guy because you clicked on a phishing link.
The article notes that Patel's spokesman called the criticism "disingenuous and dumb." Right, because calling out blatant hypocrisy is so dumb. Patel criticized his predecessors for using taxpayer-funded jets for personal travel, and now he's doing the exact same thing. But, offcourse, it's different when he does it.
And now Devin Kowalski is running CIRG. The guy was already slated to take over, but the timing stinks. Is he going to be another yes-man? Will he stand up to Patel if he tries to use the FBI's resources for his personal vendettas? Or will he just toe the line to keep his job?
One source raised a concern about whether the next director will "withstand pressure from FBI leadership to utilize its operations—including planes—for more mundane assignments that could be performed by local SWAT teams." That's the real question, ain't it? Is the FBI going to become Patel's personal taxi service?
So, What's the Real Story?
The FBI is being turned into a playground for political hacks and thin-skinned egomaniacs. Competence, experience, and integrity don't matter anymore. All that matters is loyalty to the Dear Leader. And that's a goddamn tragedy.
