Kash Patel encountered his toughest challenge yet as FBI director after current and former officials condemned him for wrongly declaring that a suspect had been arrested in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a close ally of former President Donald Trump. Just before authorities in Orem, Utah, briefed the press on Sept. 10, Patel posted on social media that the gunman was in custody. Local officials immediately contradicted him, creating hours of confusion until the FBI clarified that two individuals had been questioned and released.

Officials, past and present, called Patel’s announcement damaging. Retired FBI agent Dan Brunner noted that early intelligence is often unreliable and stressed that no FBI director had ever issued such claims via social media. A White House source, speaking anonymously, called Patel’s actions unprofessional and unacceptable. Former Homeland Security official John Cohen echoed that the move was “unorthodox” and risked misleading the public. Despite the backlash, the White House insisted Patel retained Trump’s full support. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt blasted Reuters’ reporting as an attempt to divide Trump’s team, insisting Patel was leading the manhunt with the president’s backing. The FBI itself declined to comment.

Kirk’s killing before 3,000 people at a Utah college added to a growing wave of political violence this year. The case marked Patel’s first major test as FBI director — a role he assumed despite limited law enforcement experience. Critics within the bureau worry his loyalty to Trump and push to align the FBI with the “America First” agenda could undermine the investigation. Since taking charge, Patel has reassigned FBI resources to focus on Trump’s political rivals and Washington street crime. He has also dismissed dozens of staff deemed insufficiently loyal, including the former head of the Salt Lake City office now central to the Kirk investigation.

On Thursday, Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls said investigators had recovered the rifle used in the shooting but had yet to locate the suspect. The FBI released two photos of a person of interest and announced a $100,000 reward for information, which conservative activist Laura Loomer criticized as inadequate and disrespectful to Kirk’s legacy.

Before his appointment, Patel had been one of the FBI’s fiercest critics, claiming the agency targeted Trump as part of a “deep state” conspiracy. He played a key role in a congressional probe of the FBI’s 2016 Russia investigation. Now as director, he has publicly aligned himself with Trump, attending events together — a stark shift from the traditionally independent posture of past FBI leaders. Patel has at times clashed with the administration, including over FBI budget funding. Earlier this year, he was also removed from his temporary role as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, replaced by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll without explanation.