The FBI director is hounding his staff to hunt down mean social media posts.

Kash Patel holds up a business card

FBI Director Kash Patel

SAUL LOEB/POOL/AFP/Getty Images

FBI Director Kash Patel was so upset about being criticized on social media that he directed bureau agents to find offending accounts and respond to them.

On Thursday, journalist Seth Hettena found texts released by the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act showing conversations where Patel ordered the FBI’s Assistant Director for Public Affairs, Ben Williamson, to respond to a X poster with the name “Ifindretards.”

The February post said Patel’s “retard rating just went to all time highs. Congratulations Kash.”

X post Retard Finder @IfindRetards His retard rating just went to all time highs. Congratulations Kash

Patel thought the post warranted a reply, and pressured agents to “continously” respond with the bureau’s “record year results.” Hettena simulated how the text exchange would look on an iPhone:

X screenshot Seth Hettena @seth_hettena texts between Kash Patel and Ben Williamson Patel: link to tweet Williamson: this is an "Epstein didn't kill himself" bot account If you're wondering where that's comingi from Patel: 277k responses are not bots what i asked you and your team to do is find them, and post our record year results back at them all, continously have they been doing that Williamson: that's views — it's 400 responses. a real visible tweet gets 5x that yes. we're not responding to 'Ifindretards.' that would look bad on you. Patel: its not about them, it is about the number of views because people see it and need to be seeing our stats

When Williamson protested that responding to @IfindRetards would “look bad” on Patel, the director responded that “it’s not about them, it is about the number of views, because people see it and need to be seeing our stats.”

It’s quite a waste of FBI resources to go after an online troll, but Patel has been overly concerned with social media throughout his tenure, revealing sensitive information from multiple investigations including the Charlie Kirk assassination. Patel isn’t particularly concerned about the bureau’s resources, either, having used them to jet-set around the world partying and hanging out with his singer girlfriend.

Patel only has his job because of his loyalty to President Trump, publishing an enemies list before Trump was elected in 2024. Since he was narrowly confirmed by the Senate last year, Patel’s stewardship of the FBI has been marked by scandal after scandal, and he quickly lost the confidence of the agents under his command. Right now, the only reason Patel still has his job is that he hasn’t lost the confidence of the president.

Marco Rubio Is Pissed Off He Can’t Fire One of His Own Aides

The staffer apparently has some friends in high places.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stands in Peru

Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Peru

Carlos Garcia Granthon/Fotoholica Press/LightRocket/Getty Images

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was reportedly furious after a rogue aide got himself out of trouble by calling someone high up in President Donald Trump’s team, The Daily Mail reported Thursday.

In late July, Gavin Wax, the chief of staff to the undersecretary of public diplomacy and public affairs at the State Department, was reportedly placed on leave after he hosted a group of pro-Kremlin Serbian politicians in an executive dining room. Wax was previously placed under investigation for allegedly assaulting someone inside an elevator at the State Department offices.

In order to save his job, Wax made a Hail Mary call to Boris Epshteyn, Trump’s senior personal counsel, one source told the Mail. The president’s top lawyer stepped in to prevent Wax from being fired, five senior administration officials told the publication.

Rubio was infuriated that he couldn’t fire Wax, and has since made it clear that Wax is not welcome in his department, according to three senior administration sources.

“It signals to everyone else in the department that if you have the ear of someone close to the president, you are untouchable no matter what you do,” one State Department official told the Mail. Wax also has reportedly been able to use Natalie Harp to make inroads with Trump.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5903020&forum_id=2],#50131331)