Kash Patel 'promises' to make arrests for 2020 rigged election conspiracy this week after bombshell report says he's paranoid and drinks to excess

By JAMES GORDON, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:59, 20 April 2026 | Updated: 01:59, 20 April 2026 Kash Patel has vowed that arrests are imminent in what he claims is a sweeping conspiracy tied to the 2020 election. The FBI director's promise came days after a political and legal firestorm erupted over a damning report that alleged erratic behavior and excessive drinking by Patel. During an appearance on Fox News on Sunday Morning, Patel insisted accountability is coming for the alleged 'rigging' of the election for former President Joe Biden. 'I am never going to let this go. They tried to rig the entire system. That's something I'm not going to allow,' Patel said when asked about the 2020 election.  'We are going to be making arrests. It's coming. I promise you it's coming soon.' The comments marked his most forceful public declaration yet, going beyond previous hints that the FBI had gathered evidence tied to President Donald Trump's long-standing claims that the election was stolen.  Such claims that have been repeatedly rejected by courts, election officials, and even Trump's own Justice Department during his first term. Patel stopped short of providing any specifics about the alleged evidence, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.  But he insisted the material exists and suggested it is being folded into a broader conspiracy case being pursued alongside Department of Justice prosecutors under Attorney General Todd Blanche. FBI Director Kash Patel said on Fox News that arrests related to a 2020 election conspiracy are imminent, stating: 'It's coming. I promise you it's coming soon.' Courts, election officials, and Trump's own Justice Department previously rejected claims of widespread fraud that would have changed the 2020 outcome 'We have the information that backs President Trump's claim,' Patel said earlier in the same interview. 'I can't get ahead of the DOJ and the president, but President Trump… speaks truthfully when he says that.' 'Stay tuned this week. You might see a thing or two,' he teased. The extraordinary claims come at a moment of mounting pressure on Patel personally, following a bombshell report published by The Atlantic that painted a deeply troubling portrait of the FBI director's conduct behind closed doors. According to the report - based on interviews with more than two dozen current and former FBI officials - Patel has been 'erratic, suspicious of others, and prone to jumping to conclusions before he has necessary evidence,' with some sources describing his behavior as a potential 'national-security vulnerability.' The article alleged that meetings had to be rescheduled because Patel had been drinking the night before, and that concerns had been raised internally about whether alcohol may have contributed to missteps in high-profile investigations, including the aftermath of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Hours after the killing of the conservative activist in September 2025, Patel took to X to announce that the 'subject' in Kirk's murder was finally 'in custody.'  But he walked back his earlier statement shortly after, announcing that the suspect 'has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement.'  It also claimed that staffers at one point struggled to reach Patel due to his alleged drinking, and that concerns within the bureau have intensified as his behavior grew more unpredictable.  Patel made the remarks during an appearance on Sunday Morning. He claimed the FBI has gathered information that 'backs President Trump's claim' about the 2020 election The Atlantic report alleged that officials are increasingly alarmed about whether the FBI could respond to a national crisis like a terror attack with Patel at the helm The Atlantic magazine published a report Friday alleging that officials are alarmed over FBI Director Kash Patel's alleged excessive drinking  On one occasion, staffers allegedly requested 'breaching equipment' used in SWAT raids and hostage situations to try and break down his door, according to The Atlantic. Patel is known to enjoy alcohol and has frequently appeared visibly intoxicated at clubs in Washington and in his home city of Las Vegas.  He reportedly also enraged the president after he was filmed chugging beer with the US men's hockey team following their Olympic victory. Fearing he was about to be fired by the Trump administration, he allegedly called aides and allies in panic - a reaction that, according to the report, quickly reached the White House.  Officials told the outlet they are increasingly alarmed about whether the FBI could respond to a national crisis like a terror attack with Patel at the helm.  'That's what keeps me up at night,' an unnamed official told the publication. Patel has categorically denied the allegations and is now preparing to take legal action. 'You want to attack my character? Come at me. Bring it on. I'll see you in court,' he said on Sunday, confirming that a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic is expected to be filed. Patel allegedly had a nervous breakdown after mistakenly believing he had been fired by the Trump administration due to a technical issue that left him locked out of a computer Patel's advisor Erica Knight released a statement on X stating that Patel has only taken off a 'grand total of 17 days' and has worked more than his predecessors Patel dismissed the report as part of a broader media campaign against him, calling it the work of a 'fake news mafia' and arguing that such attacks are evidence the FBI is effectively doing its job. 'If the fake news mafia isn't hitting you personally with baseless information in Washington, D.C., then you're not doing your job,' Patel said. In response to The Atlantic's recent bombshell claims, Patel's advisor Erica Knight released a pointed statement on X, calling it a story 'that every real DC reporter chased, couldn't verify, and passed on.' 'Here's reality. Since being sworn in, Director Patel has taken a grand total of 17 days off - half as much time off as Comey and Wray - and he spends twice as much time in the office as either of them ever did,' Knight wrote. 'The so-called 'intoxication incidents' The Atlantic breathlessly reports have happened exactly ZERO times,' she added. She went on to list statistics she said were achieved under Patel's tenure, including 67,000 arrests nationwide and '2,200+ kilos of fentanyl seized - enough to kill 178 million Americans.' Such claims have not been independently verified.  The clash between Patel and The Atlantic has rapidly escalated into a high-stakes confrontation, with both sides digging in.  The magazine's reporter, Sarah Fitzpatrick, has publicly stood by her reporting, stating in an interview that she 'stand[s] by every word of this reporting' and emphasizing that it was based on extensive sourcing, including current and former FBI personnel. Meanwhile, Patel's legal team has accused the outlet of publishing 'false, unsourced and facially defamatory' claims, arguing that the reporting relied on vague and unattributed allegations. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. 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