Dan Bongino and Kash Patel are under fire after their response to a violent assault on Sunday.
Local 9 News reports, "Boulder Police are investigating a report of an attack with multiple victims Sunday afternoon." FBI leader Patel was quick to label the incident a "targeted terror attack," and that language was soon echoed by his deputy, Bongino.
Juliette Kayyem, writer and former assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Homeland Security, said the pair were wrong to "get out in front" of local authorities.
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Noting that Patel and Bongino "don't have a long history in local law enforcement," Kayyem said, "We will wait and hope it isn't what we all worry it is."
"And if it is, then there'll be an investigation. But that was like nothing I've ever seen before. You normally actually... get the local people getting way ahead on motive and the FBI saying we don't have it yet," she added. "You now have the opposite here."
She added, "And until we know that the victims were members of that Jewish event, we don't have the nexus. And I will believe the Denver police chief that they do not have that nexus now."
She further added a reminder about following the FBI's social media accounts.
"And if they do, I will be the first one out here saying that is a hate crime. But until we do, we all need to not follow the FBI's tweets," she said.
When asked, local authorities said it's "irresponsible" to speculate motive.
