“Against all law enforcement recommendations, we demanded the video footage and enhanced stills of the suspect be released to the public,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel in a Saturday X post.
Patel was referring to images released in the aftermath of the fatal shooting that claimed the life of 31-year-old conservative activist Charlie Kirk Wednesday in Utah. For 33 hours, law enforcement searched for the shooter, and eventually 22-year-old Tyler Robinson’s father turned the suspect in Friday.
“Robinson’s father, who ultimately turned him in to authorities, told law enforcement that he recognized his son in that released video,” Patel added in his X post.
Images included security camera footage of a man in dark clothing, including a distinctive shirt with an American flag on it. Video showed an individual jumping off a rooftop at Utah Valley University, where Kirk – founder of the conservative Turning Point USA group – was visiting for his “American Comeback” tour.
“Thank you to our local and federal law enforcement partners for your incredible work in bringing this suspect into custody,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in a Friday X post. “We got him.”
President Donald Trump also praised the bureau in an exclusive with Fox News Digital.
“I am very proud of the FBI,” Trump said. “Kash – and everyone else – they have done a great job.”
Both Patel and Trump were friends of Kirk, along with Vice President JD Vance and other members of Trump’s inner circle.
However, multiple outlets (including Fox) noted that Patel’s handling of the case has not been met with universal praise. In particular, Patel’s initial statement Wednesday that a suspect was in custody “sparked consternation and criticism,” the outlet pointed out.
Not one but two people were taken into custody and released before Robinson was turned in. After the suspect was taken into custody, Patel’s actions at a press conference also drew ire, according to CNN.
“Patel’s upbeat tone contrasted with frustration and anger, both inside and outside the FBI, over his handling of the most high-profile moment of his tenure so far,” said the outlet. “Some FBI employees told CNN they found it galling for Patel to claim personal credit for the most successful parts of the investigation.”
Furthermore, CNN said that the FBI director’s actions in the wake of Kirk’s murder have “led some allies of President Donald Trump to question both publicly and privately whether he is equipped to handle the country’s top law enforcement agency.” Even before the high-profile shooting, critics of the president questioned whether Patel was qualified for the job, CNN added.
When the FBI and Department of Justice issued a joint statement this year about the Jeffrey Epstein case, he received backlash from both sides of the political aisle. Audacy even reported on conservative media personality Tucker Carlson’s criticism.
Recently, the FBI also reportedly let go of dozens of senior-level officials in the bureau, including the former head of the Salt Lake City field office. Three of the fired agents sued the FBI and DOJ Wednesday, the same day Kirk was killed, and alleged that Patel fired them for political reasons. As pressure mounted in the Kirk case this week, The New York Times reported that Patel lashed out at agents, citing an expletive-filled video from Thursday.
Still, CNN said at least one FBI official defended Patel. That official said “that the suspect was only eventually apprehended after a family member saw photos of him released by the FBI,” per the outlet. They also noted that the Robison manhunt was shorter than the Luigi Mangione manhunt late last year, when Christopher Wray was in charge of the FBI. Mangione is accused of murdering insurance CEO Brian Thompson.
“Over these last few days, what has mattered isn’t ignorant criticism or petty assumptions – it’s been the pursuit of justice,” said Erica Knight, a spokeswoman for Patel, as cited by CNN. “Justice that was promised, and justice that has now been delivered.”