FBI Director Kash Patel took a sarcastic swipe at a news report about his arrival in Russia after the FBI refuted the report and the network issued an on-air correction.
Kash Patel Mocks MS NOW Over Russia Report
On Wednesday, Patel posted “From Russia, with Love…” mocking the network’s report that he had traveled to Russia.
Earlier in the day, MS NOW anchor Peter Alexander initially told viewers, “We do have some breaking news we want to get to here on MS NOW. This is about the FBI Director, Kash Patel. MS NOW has learned that Patel has landed in Russia for a meeting scheduled to take place there,” reported Fox News.
The network cited “two people familiar with the matter.”
Justice and intelligence reporter Ken Dilanian subsequently discussed concerns among his FBI sources about the reported trip, including the possibility of meetings with Russia’s security service, the FSB.
The FBI quickly disputed the report. Its Rapid Response account on X said Patel was in Virginia attending a law enforcement appreciation event at Liberty University.
“MS Now’s ‘sources’ are ‘familiar’ with NOTHING,” the account wrote.
Patel also responded to the report, posting, “Facts over clickbait.”
MS NOW Issues On-Air Correction
Later Wednesday, Dilanian issued an on-air correction, acknowledging that Patel had not arrived in Russia.
“We’ve since learned that Patel did not, in fact, land in Russia today and remains in the U.S.,” Dilanian said.
He added, “The timing of any potential trip remains unclear.”
“Again, we regret this error, and we are transparent about when we make errors,” he said.
Judge Extends Media Access Order
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly extended an order restoring White House press credentials for CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters, finding they were likely to succeed on their due process and First Amendment claims.
Last month, President Donald Trump banned the outlets, accusing them of publishing “FAKE NEWS” and “FICTION and LIES” about his administration.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth backed the move, accusing the outlets of spreading false stories and leaks that endangered U.S. troops.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock/Maxim Elramsisy
