Kash Patel's job now at risk with shock update - Another Day - Brian Tyler Cohen [View all]

BTC: Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for asserting that he has a drinking problem. Yes, we've moved on from fake news to fake booze. This is just another day.

America continues to be a nation at war. Sorry, I meant to add with our journalists.

[cut to video from CBS Morning News]
Nate Burleson: FBI director Kash Patel says he will file a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic. The magazine published a report Friday accusing him of excessive drinking and regular absences.

[cut to studio]
BTC: Excessive drinking and regular absences. That doesn't seem like the Kash I know.

[inset video of Kash celebrating with USA Hockey team]

BTC: Still not seeing it. But yes, when it comes to this Atlantic story, it seems that Kash is out for cash to the tune of $250 million, which for a Trump official is peanuts. Kash, what are you doing, man? Trump sued the BBC for 10 billion, sued the New York Times for 15 billion. Give us a number with a B in front of it. What's the matter? Can't you see what a great opportunity this all is? [inset photo of cross-eyed Kash]

Uh, maybe not. Anyway, let's hear more.

[cut to video from MS NOW]
Jen Psaki: Several officials told The Atlantic that Patel's drinking has been a recurring source of concern across the government. Early in his tenure, meetings and briefings had to be rescheduled for later in the day as a result of his alcohol fueled nights. Six current and former officials and others familiar with Patel's schedule told The Atlantic.

[cut to studio]
BTC: Okay, but to be fair, if you're not going to release the Epstein files, what does it matter if that meeting is at 8:00 a.m. or noon? Like, look, so the guy is a little bit hung over and moves a few meetings. I'm sure it's nothing our Secretary of Defense hasn't done often. To me, he still seems like a level-headed man deserving of his high ranking position.

[cut to video from CBS Morning News]
Analyst: It starts with this incident where it says Kash Patel couldn't get into his computer. He couldn't log in and he suddenly thought that he had been fired by the administration. He starts calling people saying he's been let go. It sets off this wave of concern across Washington where everyone is suddenly asking who is in charge of the FBI and the White House ultimately says Kash Patel like he had not been fired. It was a technical issue.

[cut to studio]
BTC: Wow, that looks pretty bad for everyone involved. It shows what a cut-throat operation the White House is running. That people assume not being able to log into their computer is a sign they've been fired. It shows that America's FBI director isn't secure at all with his standing inside the administration and it shows that whoever does tech support over there wields a crazy amount of power.

[posing as fake IT Support] Sorry, sir. Your password Kash grab 6969 isn't working. Guess it's time to pack your shit.

[returning to normal tone] But come on, is this all really that big of a deal?

[cut to video from CBS Morning News]
Analyst: The gravest concern here is that some of these sources expressed to The Atlantic that they believe he is a potential national security vulnerability.

[cut to studio]
BTC: Why is everyone being such a fucking buzzkill? Lighten up. You know, just because this one guy is in charge of thousands of agents battling counterterrorism, cyber-crime, and a whole host of other national security threats doesn't mean he can't toss a few back at the end of the day or at the beginning of the day or in the middle of the day. But while the Kash news is still pouring in, the FBI director did his darndest to get out in front of it and shape the narrative by hitting the airwaves over the weekend.

[cut to video from Fox News]
Maria Bartiromo: There is this scathing article about you in The Atlantic magazine. Uh The Atlantic magazine uh director uh is alleging that you have a drinking problem that it is getting in the way of your work running the FBI. What is your response this morning to this article?

Kash Patel: Look, Maria, you and I have been at this together for a long time whether I was leading the investigation on Russiagate back in The House um or my time in the Trump admin one and now and the results I say speak for themselves. If the fake news mafia isn't hitting you personally with baseless information in Washington DC then you're not doing your job.

[cut to studio]
BTC: For the love of God, can we please dispense with this idea that every article asserting malfeasance, corruption, or outright illegality is somehow further proof of how great a job you're doing?

And why is it that this scenario only seems to apply to Republican operatives in Washington DC? I don't recall Jared from Subway going on TV and saying, "Hey, haters going to hate." But since Kash Patel isn't one to hold on to any piece of information, classified or otherwise, he chose Maria's show to break some of his own big news.

[cut to video from Fox News]
Kash Patel: Maria, I'm happy to announce on your show that we are not going to take this laying down. You want to attack my character, come at me. Bring it on. I'll see you in court.

Maria Bartiromo: So, you're going to sue them?

[cut to studio]
BTC: Whoa. Nothing gets past Maria Bartiromo. If you thought she was merely a show for the Trump administration, who still harbors resentment toward Lady Gaga for getting cast over her in that House of Gucci movie, you are dead wrong. She knows that when someone says, "See you in court, they plan to sue."

But Kash Patel wanted the people to know that this story isn't just an attack on him. It is an attack on our entire way of life.

[cut to video from Fox News]
Kash Patel: You know what, Maria? We have to fight back against the fake news. It's the one, it's one of the many things that President Trump is so successful at in leading out on because no one is attacked as baselessly as he is and as much as he is. And our leaders that get attacked under his brilliant leadership must do the same. And I won't tolerate their attacks on me because in they are indirect attacks on the men and women of the FBI that we've cleaned up. And this historic prolific year of crime reduction across the board is something that all Americans should be. And I know they're proud of me because I travel across the country and they say our communities are safer than ever before.

[cut to studio]
BTC: I know they're proud of me. Kash, buddy, I know you like to drink, but you are coming off a little bit thirsty. Kash Patel is fully aware that Donald Trump is watching this interview, which is why the subtext of practically everything he's saying is, "Please don't fire me. Please don't fire me. Please don't fire me."

The reality is it is pretty ironic that Kash Patel is suing somebody else for putting falsehoods out into the world when outside of his let's call it relentless chugging of information. Putting out untruths is the main area of Kash Patel's expertise. It happened after the shooting at Brown University.

[cut to video from MS NOW]
Host: FBI Director Kash Patel raced to social media to announce an arrest had been made in connection to the case. Local authorities confirmed they acted on a tip that came directly from the FBI. The only problem, the wrong man was apprehended.

[cut to studio]
BTC: It happened after the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minnesota.

[cut to video from Fox News]
Kash Patel: You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple. You don't have that right to break the law.

[cut to studio]
BTC: And it happened after the shooting of Charlie Kirk.

[cut to video from local Fox affiliate]
Reporter: FBI Director Kash Patel is set to appear before Congress this week to hear questions about the investigation into conservative activist Charlie Kirk's murder as well as his leadership over the agency. Patel has come under fire after he initially reported the suspect was in custody on Wednesday when he was not.

[cut to studio]
BTC: What a delightfully polite way to report on the FBI director's complete lack of professionalism.

Mr. Patel also claimed that there was no credible information regarding Jeffrey Epstein and co-conspirators when in fact that statement is what many legal experts would describe as not true.

But what is far more frightening than Kash Patel is deciding this is how he'd like to quench his thirst on the job and that is scary. But even more so is the FBI director's approach to our upcoming elections. Kash rightfully sees that his job is on the line. And so to save it, he's placing the world's safest bet on what could give him job security, appealing to Donald Trump's ego.

[cut to video from Fox News]
Maria Bartiromo: Specifically, the question that I asked you was about election integrity and whether or not you have any information to verify what President Trump says all the time, which is the election was rigged.

Kash Patel: President Trump speaks truthfully when he says that and that's what I've been telling you about. When we find terabytes of data on computers from from the last 10 years that we were supposed to find 10 years ago, that's what it took. It took his re-election. It took this FBI to go in there and find it. And it takes a long time to get through that material. But I would say stay tuned this week. You might see a thing or two.

[cut to studio]
BTC: Exciting. After six years of searching relentlessly for fraud, including in front of more than 60 judges, many of whom Trump himself appointed and losing in all of those cases, this week it's all finally happening.

Echoing Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was rigged is exactly what the president loves to hear, but Kash is taking it a step further because in his effort to remain in good standing with Dear Leader, the FBI director is going to use those false claims of rigging as the basis to actually rig the midterms. It's why the FBI has seized ballots in Georgia, in Arizona, and just this weekend in Michigan. By the way, so crazy how all that election rigging took place in swing states. Must just be a coincidence.

But what's so mind-boggling is how much effort these folks are putting into undermining the next election. Because if they just governed in a way that showed even a scintilla of competence, they wouldn't have to. Like the FBI is seizing ballots, Congressional Republicans are trying to jam through the SAVE America Act requiring voter ID, the President of the United States is on an endless quest to ban mail-in voting which he uses.

But they wouldn't have to do any of this if they simply did their jobs and kept their own promises. Kash Patel could be a highly regarded Cabinet official with plenty of respect and job security if he just started acting like a professional. And that would give all of us reason to celebrate.

[inset video of Kash Patel and USA Hockey celebrating at Olympics]

BTC: But not like that.