Jimmy Kimmel, the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, made some sharp comments about FBI Director Kash Patel during a long and intense talk on his show. He joked about Patel, calling him “our future former FBI director” as stories about Patel’s possible drinking continue to come up.
Kimmel said Patel has been having a tough time lately, mentioning a recent story from The Atlantic.
His talk covered claims about heavy drinking, missing work without explanation, and problems within the FBI’s main office.
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He also brought up Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is facing similar questions about his drinking.
Kimmel laughed, saying, “How pathetic must Pete Hegseth be right now? ‘They made me give up drinking.’”
Kimmel then mentioned that Patel had reportedly ordered over two dozen staff and security people to take lie detector tests to find out who told the media about him.
He ended the segment by saying, “Sounds to me like somebody could use a drink.”
The story started with a report from The Atlantic.
It said Patel was accused of having drinking spells, missing work, and causing worry among government officials.
Patel responded by filing a $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic, calling their story “false, malicious, and defamatory.”
At a Justice Department press conference, he said, “I’ve never been drunk on the job,” and criticized the media for not checking the facts before printing stories. He added, “They were given the truth before they published, and they chose to print falsehoods anyway.”
The Atlantic said they support their report and plan to fight the lawsuit.
Kimmel also talked about the effect the report had inside the FBI.
He mentioned that Patel’s security team once had trouble waking him up and considered using “breaching equipment,” an accusation Patel denies.
Kimmel told viewers, “The FBI has a strict rule against alcohol use on the job and misuse when off duty, so they’re taking these claims seriously.
In fact, they’re so serious they’ve started an investigation to find out who told the story.”
He added, “Patel has reportedly ordered more than two dozen people in his security detail and staff to take a polygraph test and is said to be in panic mode trying to keep his job.”
Kimmel ended by saying, “Ah, sounds to me like somebody could use a drink, right?”
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