FBI Director Kash Patel Denies Report Claiming Russia Trip
The FBI publicly refuted a news outlet's report that Director Kash Patel had traveled to Moscow, stating he was at Liberty University.
FBI Director Kash Patel has refuted a report by MS Now that claimed he had traveled to Moscow for a clandestine trip to Russia. The FBI itself responded to the outlet's on-air report, which cited "two people familiar with the matter," by stating, "MS Now’s ‘sources’ are ‘familiar’ with NOTHING!"
The bureau shared a post on X, formerly Twitter, contrasting MS Now’s report with evidence of Patel’s actual whereabouts. The post showed a clip from the news report alongside images and a statement indicating Patel was at Liberty University in Virginia participating in a law enforcement appreciation event. Patel himself amplified the FBI’s denial, posting "Facts over clickbait."
Plans for Patel to visit Russia in mid-October had been reported by Politico in July.
This incident follows other reports of senior Trump administration officials visiting Moscow. CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly visited the Russian capital in late August to convey a warning against hostilities with NATO members amid escalating tensions over Ukraine. Additionally, former Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month before traveling to Kyiv to engage with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.