Kash Patel Is Having the Worst Week of His Career | Episode 90

Speaker 1 So when you run on transparency, when you run on ending government bloat, it should not surprise you when Americans call out your hypocrisy and your inability to make significant change.

Speaker 1 And that is exactly what is happening right now with Cash Patel. Show logo, all that fun stuff.

Speaker 1 So in case you haven't heard, Cash Patel has been getting absolutely raked over the coals by people online after they started tracking his personal use of his FBI jet, which is only adding fuel to the fire against him, which has been raging for many months at this point.

Speaker 1 And there was a way for Cash to handle this and address this, address the outrage, and there was a way that he absolutely should not have handled it. And can you guess which option he chose?

Speaker 1 All right, so let's just dive right into this. So last week, this is what really set people off.

Speaker 1 Last week, it came out that Cash Patel used his private FBI jet to hop on over to Pennsylvania to see his girlfriend sing the national anthem at a wrestling event.

Speaker 1 And then he flew the jet to Nashville, where she lives. Now, his girlfriend is country singer Alexis Wilkins.

Speaker 1 There's been a lot of controversy about them and their relationship because she is in the public eye. She kind of works in conservative spaces.
She's like a conservative country singer.

Speaker 1 Anyway, all of this came out. It went viral on X and there was immediate backlash.

Speaker 1 And I think the people are already on edge with Cash Patel and Dan Bongino, to be honest, because they expected more from these men. These men were podcasters.

Speaker 1 They both talked big games and they've come into this administration and nothing really has happening. They wanted more transparency.
They wanted more action and that simply has not happened.

Speaker 1 And so seeing Cash allegedly just jet-setting around to see his girlfriend does not help with his public image with the MAGA base, with the conservative movement in general, especially when we are on the 37th day of a government shutdown when federal employees have been for load.

Speaker 1 The last thing Americans want to see is a government employee jet-setting around on their private play. Like the optics are just absolutely terrible.
But guys, that was not even the final straw.

Speaker 1 The final straw in this story was that after people started talking about where he was flying and why, which is all public information, as it should be, because we the taxpayers are, you know, footing that bill.

Speaker 1 Cash requested, he had the audacity to request that the government shut down public tracking of his plane. I mean, I thought that we were the transparent administration.

Speaker 1 I thought that that's what you were running on. You wanted everything exposed.
You wanted the Epstein list revealed.

Speaker 1 You wanted everything about JFK revealed, but oh no, Americans who are footing the bill, we can't see where you are flying on your private jet.

Speaker 1 And then on top of that, Cash literally fired the FBI official Steven Palmer, who is in charge of aviation security, allegedly, allegedly, because people found out where he was going and what he was doing.

Speaker 1 And because of that, somebody had to get cut.

Speaker 1 Bloomberg Law wrote about this and they said the FBI forced out a senior official overseeing aviation shortly after director Cash Patel grew outraged, that's what they said, outraged, about revelations of his publicly available jet logs indicating that he'd flown to see his musician girlfriend perform, said three people familiar with the situation.

Speaker 1 Stephen Palmer, a 27-year veteran of the FBI, became the third head of the Critical Incident Response Group, which includes FBI pilots, to be fired or removed in Patel's short regime.

Speaker 1 They go on to say that Patel was angered this week by social media posts and news stories calling attention to his use of an FBI jet that arrived in State College, Pennsylvania, where his girlfriend and country music artist Alexis Wilkins sang the national anthem at a wrestling match, said the individuals who spoke anonymously out of fear of retaliation.

Speaker 1 Palmer was told he needed to immediately resign or be fired, which the individuals said was at least partially connected to Patel's fury over the negative media cycle over his personal travel.

Speaker 1 Okay, now I'm sitting here, I'm racking my brain. Like, how is this Steven Palmer's fault?

Speaker 1 Because he was not being proactive in trying to hide the fact that you were flying to see your girlfriend, that he didn't protect you from the media spin, the media cycle, whatever is going on.

Speaker 1 Like the fact that he didn't just instinctively do that for you when all of that is usually public information, as it should be.

Speaker 1 All of that information should be out in the open, unlike your guns, which is why you need Stopbox. Now, if you own a handgun like me for self-defense, your storage likely fits into two categories.

Speaker 1 It is either locked away, safe, but out of of reach in an emergency, or it's unsecured, leaving it vulnerable to anyone. Stopbox USA saw this problem and they came up with a groundbreaking solution.

Speaker 1 It is the Stopbox Pro. With the Stopbox Pro, you will never have to choose between security and readiness ever again.

Speaker 1 Its ingenious push-button locking system gives you fast, reliable access when every second matters, without the hassle of keys or reliance on batteries.

Speaker 1 It's 100% mechanical, so it works every time, no power needed. This allows for fast, secure access without the risk of fumbling for keys when every second counts.

Speaker 1 It's also battery-free, so you never have to worry about your lock not working. And for a limited time, our viewers are going to to get 15% off at Stopbox when you use code Brett Cooper at checkout.

Speaker 1 Just head to stopboxusa.com and use code Brett Cooper for 15% off your entire order. And after your purchase, guys, they will ask you where you heard about Stopbox.

Speaker 1 Please support our show and tell them that I sent you. And guys, for another convenient tool that you will actually use, you need to try the Bond Charge Red Light Face Mask.
This mask is incredible.

Speaker 1 It kind of looks crazy, I know, but trust me, it uses medical-grade red and near-infrared light to support collagen production.

Speaker 1 reduce inflammation and help your skin heal and glow naturally from the inside out. You can use it while you're reading, working, or just relaxing.

Speaker 1 just 10 minutes hands-free and your skin will look noticeably smoother, calmer, and more radiant.

Speaker 1 It is one of the easiest ways I have found to invest in my skin without overcomplicating things and buying a bunch of extra products. Bond Charge is a company that I genuinely believe in.

Speaker 1 I've worked with them for years now, as you guys know. They are not about the hype.
They are about real science-backed wellness tech that actually works.

Speaker 1 And right now they are running their huge holiday sale so that you can save a massive 25% off. Just head to Bondcharge.com and your 25% off code will be automatically added to your order.

Speaker 1 But this sale will end on December 31st, so hurry and do not miss this chance to save big on your new favorite wellness tools.

Speaker 1 Now, back to the story, the firing of Stephen Palmer is completely absurd. And if it is connected to Patel's outrage, which it seems like it is, allegedly, it's just ridiculous.

Speaker 1 And it immediately, obviously, made the public outcry even worse. And of course, regardless of Cash Patel's efforts, it did not stop people from trying to track his plane.

Speaker 1 In fact, it made them more interested because even though the free public tracking was turned off, you could still pay to see exactly what he was doing and where he was going.

Speaker 1 And that is exactly what interested parties did, because why wouldn't they? Now you were saying, I don't want you to see where I'm going. Obviously, we are now more interested.

Speaker 1 Do you have something to hide, Cash Patel? We're going to pay. We're going to look.
Anyway, one person, Kyle Serafin, who has been tracking this entire thing, he said, fired.

Speaker 1 Hopefully no one gets fired from this post. Cash blocked access to our taxpayer-funded FBI jet, so I paid extra to keep tracking it.

Speaker 1 Last night, he flew down to Mar-a-Lago, allegedly to be yelled at, and then after firing Stephen Palmer, he flew direct to Nashville.

Speaker 1 And then the best part of this post is that Kyle did a little bit of a graphic design on these maps and he goes, okay, Mar-a-Lago trip reporting to duty.

Speaker 1 And then he goes up to Nashville, Nashville Saturday flight reporting for booty. Is that why you're going there?

Speaker 1 Cash would tell, why don't you want people to know that you have a Saturday night booty call with your girlfriend? Sorry.

Speaker 1 I had to, but that just seems like what's happening and it seems like it's a ridiculous thing to try to hide. Anyway, so then finally, after all of that, Cash decides to make a statement.

Speaker 1 And again, this is quite possibly the worst thing he could have done. Now let's read it.
He says, I am proud of the work of this FBI.

Speaker 1 We are taking violent criminals off the streets in record numbers, crushing the fentanyl crisis, dismantling cartels, saving children and hunting down terrorists, and so much more.

Speaker 1 Let me be clear, we will not be distracted by baseless rumors or the noise from uninformed internet anarchists and the fake news.

Speaker 1 I've always said, criticize me all you want, but going after the people doing great work, my personal life, or those around me is a total disgrace.

Speaker 1 The disgustingly baseless attacks against Alexis, a true patriot and the woman I'm proud to call my partner in life, his girlfriend, are beyond pathetic.

Speaker 1 She is a rock-solid conservative and a country music sensation who has done more for this nation than most will do in 10 lifetimes. I am blessed that she's in my life.
Attacking her isn't just wrong.

Speaker 1 It is cowardly and jeopardizes our safety. My love of family will always be my cornerstone and you will never tear that down or keep them from me.

Speaker 1 Okay, now, sir, nobody was attacking Alexis right now. This was not about her.
Like in this, you go, you are welcome to criticize me all you want. That's what people are doing.
That is what we are.

Speaker 1 We are asking you questions. We are criticizing you.
It's not about Alexis right now. Like, that's great.
Defend her. You should defend her.
It's your girlfriend.

Speaker 1 It's the woman that you love, apparently. Defend her all you want, but that's not what's happening right now.
People are attacking you for your use of taxpayer-funded planes for personal use.

Speaker 1 Now, to be fair, maybe cash was just on edge because people have questioned his relationship before, but again, that was not what was happening here. No one was even concerned with what she was doing.

Speaker 1 It's totally fine if she's seeing the national anthem or hanging out in Nashville, dining at Pastise, which is a great restaurant, by the way. That's what they were doing on Saturday night.

Speaker 1 They were at Pastise, which which is a great French restaurant. We were not upset with her about that.
It was you. And instead, you made this weird long post and you basically threw her under the bus.

Speaker 1 Now, here's the thing.

Speaker 1 We do need to get the facts straight here, because had Cash not blown his top and made this weird statement and thrown Alexis under the bus, all of this could have blown over because since 9-11, it has been a law, it has been government policy that the FBI director fly private on a government plane.

Speaker 1 Cash, in his current role, is not allowed to fly commercial and he is supposed to reimburse the government for any personal use of that FBI private jet.

Speaker 1 However, that has not stopped the public's concerns even though right now Cash is technically in the right with how he is using that plane.

Speaker 1 But of course, people still have their concerns and Cash was even questioned about this and his personal use of the FBI jet back in September in a congressional hearing. Just listen.

Speaker 2 By the way, everyday FBI agents who are signed in Washington don't get to fly home on a private jet. Well, this is a great point.
Do you know why I have to use a private jet?

Speaker 2 Because Congress made it mandatory. Okay.
In April 5th, well, we didn't make it mandatory that you go to UFC games with Melt Gibson. Are you telling me I can't go home?

Speaker 2 You've got to use some judgment here.

Speaker 2 So when I'm at home, I can't do what I'm doing. When I go home, everybody else is allowed to go home.
Let me keep going. No, I'm glad you go home.
I love to go home.

Speaker 2 But I don't go home on a private jet. On April 5th,

Speaker 2 you attended a hockey game in New York City with Wayne Gretzky. And Flight Tracker says the FBI jet took you to and from New York City where you don't live, right? That's correct.

Speaker 2 And on April 12th, on the following weekend, you attended a UFC flight, a fight in Miami, also on the FBI jet, right? That's correct.

Speaker 2 So what's the cost to the taxpayer for those three flights?

Speaker 2 I pay the commercial equivalent per the low rags in the law.

Speaker 1 Okay, I'm going to pause the video right there because I have so many things to say.

Speaker 1 First of all, I can understand why Cash is frustrated frustrated in this hearing because Senator Peter Welch is, you know, questioning him about why he's going and doing all of these things when again, he is mandated to do so.

Speaker 1 And they weren't questioning the former FBI directors about their personal use. So Cash is going, why am I now the villain in this story?

Speaker 1 But the thing is, there is something different with Cash Patel's situation. We're going to get to that in a few seconds.

Speaker 1 What I do want to say here is that there is a key moment in the last few seconds of that video.

Speaker 1 Cash is not required to reimburse the government for the entire cost of the jet, the tens of thousands of dollars per flight. He just has to pay the commercial equivalent.

Speaker 1 So the taxpayers are carrying the weight of that cost.

Speaker 1 And on a government salary, that makes sense that he would not have to pay tens of thousands of dollars, but cash specifically has gotten himself into a pickle in this situation because for years now, as a podcaster sitting outside of government on the sidelines, he has been criticizing people in government, specifically the former directors of the FBI, for doing the exact same thing he is doing right now.

Speaker 1 Jet setting around on a government plane, on a private plane, on the taxpayer's dime for personal use. Just watch this from 2023.

Speaker 2 I'm not saying take all their funding. I'm not the defund everything guy.
I'm just saying Chris Ray doesn't need a government-funded G5 jet to go to vacation. Maybe we ground that plane.

Speaker 2 15,000 every time it takes off.

Speaker 2 This is odd minimum.

Speaker 1 $15,000 minimum every single time that plane takes off. We know that cash ain't paying that.
We know that for sure. That is the taxpayers that are footing the bill.

Speaker 1 Now, that clip was from two years ago. He's saying the FBI director should not have a private plane.
This should not be happening. Obviously, we know what's going on now, but there's more.

Speaker 1 Let's just take a look at some of his old posts on Truth Social to really understand why people are so aggravated.

Speaker 1 So he says, two years ago, Chris Ray lying to Congress and jet-setting off on taxpayer dollars while dodging accountability for the implosion of the FBI on his watch. Here's another one.

Speaker 1 He says, Garland testifying on Wednesday. Send these questions to Congress and scroll down.
One of the questions that he wants Congress to ask is, Ray mandates himself to fly in a private jet.

Speaker 1 We pay for. Will you shut that waste down? He literally calls it waste.

Speaker 2 But guys, there is still even more now you need to listen to what he said about how you could get the fbi to quickly and easily release the epstein files republicans could get epstein's list out now like how would that process work simple one subpoena to the fbi give me the list oh you don't want to give me the list and you're going to break the law and commit contempt of congress we're going to take your money We're going to take Chris Ray's private jet.

Speaker 2 Taxpayer-funded G5 rides across the country to his Appalachian State vacation home, down to Georgia, and all over the rest of the place. That guy doesn't need a G5 government-funded jet.

Speaker 2 And the second you take that money, you get Epstein's list.

Speaker 1 So, Cash, you said it yourself. You do not need a private plane.
You do not need the taxpayers to be footing this bill.

Speaker 1 And now, a couple years later, you are in the exact same situation as Chris Ray, and you are standing for everything you once stood against.

Speaker 1 And that clip we just watched is also just a double whammy because the FBI, the Trump admin, they screwed up on Epstein. And now, look who was flying around on the private jet.

Speaker 1 Cash has become everything that he once criticized, and therefore his audience, the people that rallied behind him, that pushed for him to have this role, Americans, they have a right to question things.

Speaker 1 They have a right to be mad. And it all is just starting to pile up on Cash.
I mean, it is a bad week to be him.

Speaker 1 He was already getting slanned for allegedly confronting Joe Kent over his counterterrorism probe into the Charlie Kirk investigation, which also will open his face this week.

Speaker 1 If you guys didn't hear about that, I'll read this to you from the New York Times.

Speaker 1 They said the head of the National Counterterrorism Center examined the FBI files in the last several weeks to investigate whether the man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk had support from someone else, a foreign power, or another entity, according to multiple people with knowledge of the matter.

Speaker 1 The inquiry by Joe Kent, the director of the Counterterrorism Center, alarmed Cash Patel, the director of the FBI. Mr.
Patel and other senior officials like Pam Bondi believe that Mr.

Speaker 1 Kent was overstepping, treading on FBI responsibilities and potentially interfering with the investigation, the prosecution of the suspect, Tyler Robinson. But supporters of Mr.

Speaker 1 Kent say that he was doing his job, running down leads and making sure that no foreign or domestic groups were linked to Mr. Kirk's death.
As he he should. Again, that is Joe Kent's job.

Speaker 1 And people keep talking about Antifa radicalizing young people, radicalizing the youth like Tyler Robinson. And Antifa was literally designated a terrorist organization by Trump in an executive order.

Speaker 1 So why wouldn't Joe Kent look into it? And why did Cash blow up at him? Like, is Cash just that on edge? Now, of course, we don't know the full story. We don't know what's going on behind the scenes.

Speaker 1 I would love to know what's going on behind the scenes, but we do not have that privilege.

Speaker 1 I mean, based on the horrified, wide-eyed look that he now has 24-7, I feel like the new Cash has seen some shit.

Speaker 1 Like maybe the FBI, maybe the government is not all as cut and dry as he once thought it was.

Speaker 1 Somebody commented and said, it's the face of someone whose brain is constantly buffering between the lie he was told to say and the one he just said, basically, yes, which is really unfortunate because again, people put their trust in Cash Patel.

Speaker 1 He spoke such a big game. People wanted him to expose everything and be the face of transparency.
And objectively, that just is not happening. And maybe Cash can't say what's happening.
happening.

Speaker 1 Maybe he can't say that what he's seen has like horrified him forever, but I wish that he would at least acknowledge the hypocrisy rather than just trying to cover things up, divert attention, fire people who are doing nothing wrong, and then throwing his poor girlfriend under the bus.

Speaker 1 I mean, every single wrong move has been made. Somebody else commented and said, it is disgraceful that the FBI has time to churn out AI-ridden PR posts instead of doing his job.

Speaker 1 You are supposed to be protecting the Constitution, not lecturing Americans for exercising their First Amendment rights. Criticism of public figures is not violence.
It is not a threat.

Speaker 1 It is protected speech. And trying to brand it as jeopardizing safety sounds a lot like the same woke authoritarianism that you claim to oppose.

Speaker 1 If you want respect, earn it through transparency and accountability, not emotional grandstanding and censorship theater. Boom.
I could not have said it better myself.

Speaker 1 Now, in order for the FBI director to not have to fly private, what Cash Medel was advocating before he got into office, the law would need to change. Congress would need to do that.

Speaker 1 So you should be either publicly advocating for that or acknowledge that it is not happening, that it is harder that you thought it would be, and just move on with honesty and do your job.

Speaker 1 Because let's just face it, your job as FBI director, it does come with perks. And you should just own that with ultimate transparency.
Like, that is what the Trump administration ran on.

Speaker 1 That is what you claimed to believe in and want to promote. And if you now take back your former criticisms now that you've been in the role, you should also say that.
You should be honest.

Speaker 1 You should have accountability. You should take accountability.
You should take personal responsibility with the people who promoted you and supported you as you stepped into this job.

Speaker 1 But stop wagging the finger at us. Stop gaslighting Americans because I'm sorry, we are not idiots.