Kash Patel Slammed for “Reckless” Response to Lindsey Graham’s Death

FBI Director Kash Patel sparked outrage with his tribute to the late Senator Lindsey Graham, labeled “reckless” and “idiotic” by critics. Graham’s death at 71 was confirmed after an aortic dissection, a severe tear in the main artery, linked to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Before his passing, Graham had just returned from Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. His final days were marked by high-stakes diplomacy in a war-torn region.

Patel’s tribute began with praise for Graham as “a fierce defender of our nation, and a true patriot,” but quickly shifted into controversial territory. He stated, “The FBI is assisting local authorities and has made every necessary resource available,” on X.

This statement ignited conspiracy theories among far-right figures, including Laura Loomer, who seized on the circumstances of Graham’s death. Former Obama adviser Dan Pfeiffer criticized Patel’s tweet as “rocket fuel” for these theories.

Sam Stein from The Bulwark condemned the tweet as “genuinely reckless.” Left-leaning Meidas Touch described it as a “very odd tweet from the FBI director apparently posted to stoke conspiracy theories for Twitter likes.”

Mike Nellis, a former adviser to Kamala Harris, went further, branding Patel an “attention whore.”

Reports indicate that Patel has been ruffling feathers among Trump officials, a claim he denies. The FBI has not yet commented on the backlash.

Critics continue to voice their disapproval of Patel’s remarks.