Kash Patel Seems To Blatantly Contradict His Own Atlantic Lawsuit Claim

On Apr 22, 2026

FBI Director Kash Patel seemingly contradicted claims made in his own lawsuit against The Atlantic during a press conference Tuesday afternoon, stating he was never locked out of FBI computer systems.

In a tense back-and-forth with NBC News reporter Ryan Reilly, Patel accused him of lying and claimed that anyone who said he was locked out of his systems, as The Atlantic article detailed, was lying.

“The simple answer to your question is you are lying,” Patel said.

Reilly pressed Patel again, asking: “Did you talk to anybody about whether you thought you were fired?”

“…I’ve answered your question; it’s simply as follows: I was never locked out of my systems. Anybody who says… Anyone that says the opposite is lying.”

Reilly pointed out that Patel’s lawsuit against The Atlantic said he was, in fact, locked out of his systems for a period of time.

That’s when Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche quickly jumped in and accused Reilly of being “extraordinarily rude.”

pic.twitter.com/t9zdhS7qmb

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 21, 2026

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REPORTER: Can you explain the computer log in issue? Your lawsuit contends you were not able to log into the system

KASH PATEL: Let’s have a survey. How many of you people believe that’s true?

REPORTER: Did you communicate with anyone you thought you were fired?

PATEL: It’s an… pic.twitter.com/t9zdhS7qmb

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 21, 2026

The Atlantic claimed in its reporting that Patel “panicked, frantically” and engaged in a “freak out” believing that he had been fired when he couldn’t log in to an FBI system.

While the lawsuit refuted that claim, it said that on April 10, 2026, Patel “had a routine technical problem logging into a government system, which was quickly fixed.”

In his lawsuit filed on Monday, Patel denied the validity of the rest of The Atlantic’s reporting, which detailed instances of “excessive drinking” and “unexplained absences.”

In a statement on Monday, The Atlantic described Patel’s lawsuit as “meritless.”

“We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit,” the statement read.

Patel is seeking $250 million in damages.