FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly fired an agent trainee on Wednesday for displaying a pride flag on his desk while working in a field office in California last year.
The agent received a letter that claimed he had displayed an improper “political” message while on assignment in California in 2024, prior to President Donald Trump’s second term.
The notice, signed by Patel, read, “After reviewing the facts and circumstances and considering your probationary status, I have determined that you exercised poor judgment with an inappropriate display of political signage in your work area during your previous assignment in the Los Angeles Field Office.”
“You are being summarily dismissed from your position as a New Agent Trainee at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and removed from the federal service.”
The letter cited Trump’s Article II powers under the Constitution to dismiss federal agency career personnel. The same powers were used to justify multiple other firings at the FBI, as well as the Department of Justice.
The firing was confirmed by three people familiar with the matter who spoke to MSNBC and a dismissal notice that was reviewed by the outlet. The Daily Beast has contacted the FBI for comment.
The letter was dated Oct. 1, the first day of a government shutdown that has resulted in 40 percent of federal workers being placed on unpaid leave.
In addition to furloughed, Trump and Project 2025 architect Russell Vought threatened mass layoffs of federal workers, though officials have cautioned him against the move, warning that it could violate the Antideficiency Act.
The agent who was fired had been the recipient of an Attorney General’s Award in 2022 for his work, and had most recently been assigned to the FBI Academy in Quantico.
The report also notes that the agent’s firing prompted other FBI agents to check that their work stations and social media accounts were clear of anything that could be deemed offensive to Trump.
Agents at the bureau have been on high alert since earlier this year, reportedly warning one another about outing themselves as LGBTQ at work or expressing support for LGBTQ rights ahead of Trump’s second inauguration.
One person also told MSNBC that following the inauguration, agents warned each other that high-level Trump appointees at the agency were searching internal documents for lists of employees identified as LGBTQ.
At the same time, a resource group for LGBTQ employees at the Department of Justice was shuttered in late January shortly after Trump signed an executive order targeted at ending “radical and wasteful” diversity, equity and inclusion programs in federal workplaces.
Last Friday, Patel fired roughly 20 agents who were photographed kneeling during a Black Lives Matter protest for George Floyd in 2020. At a congressional hearing in September, Patel denied taking orders from the White House.
The post Keystone Kash Fires FBI Trainee for Displaying Pride Flag appeared first on The Daily Beast.
