A former insider in Trump world warned on Wednesday that someone in the president's orbit is "about to get fed to the political wood chipper."
Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney for more than a decade, wrote in a new essay for Meidas+ that FBI Director Kash Patel's days in the administration may be numbered. He cited ongoing issues with Patel's use of FBI resources, like taking a government jet to go on a date with his girlfriend, country music singer Alexis Wilkins, and providing her with an FBI security detail.
"If you’ve ever worked for Donald Trump—as I did for over a decade—you learn to recognize the early warning signs that someone’s about to get fed to the political wood chipper," Cohen wrote. "It starts as a tiny vibration in the building, like the air pressure drops a little because the universe knows Trump is blaming someone else for whatever is his mess of the day. Staffers walk faster. Aides avoid eye contact. And somewhere deep in the West Wing, a printer starts printing out a fresh stack of résumés just in case."
"That’s when you know: the Boss is on the hunt for a fall guy," he added. "And right now, judging by the headlines, the whispers, and the level of panic coming out of the FBI’s corner offices, Kash Patel might as well be wearing a neon sign that says 'FUTURE FORMER EMPLOYEE.'
Patel was one of Trump's fiercest allies during the 2024 campaign. He was a regular pundit on right-wing podcasts who helped sell Trump's message to young men and conservative voters nationwide.
Since joining the administration, Patel has faced a wave of criticism. For instance, he has gotten rowdy with lawmakers during committee hearings and has released unconfirmed information during the FBI investigation into conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassination.
"So will Trump actually fire Kash Patel?" Cohen asked. "In Trump World, it almost doesn’t matter. The threat is the point. The paranoia is the glue. The uncertainty is the currency."