A new lawsuit from former bureau officials and early stumbles in the investigation of Charlie Kirk’s killing have thrown the FBI director under a harsh spotlight.

While President Trump says he stands by Patel, reports indicate the FBI director has lost the trust of his colleagues at the White House and Justice Department.

WASHINGTON — Of all the investigations underway by the FBI, the case of Charlie Kirk’s killing is one that President Trump’s allies expect the bureau to get right. Yet its director, Kash Patel, has struggled out of the gate.

A series of missteps

He posted misleading updates of the manhunt for a suspect on social media, blaming “the heat of the moment” in testimony before a Senate panel on Tuesday. He failed to coordinate his messaging internally with Justice Depar

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