Kash Patel doubles down on lawsuit against The Atlantic, slams outlet as 'fake news mafia'

"Absolutely, it's coming tomorrow," Patel said when asked about whether he would officially file a lawsuit.

Patel rejected those claims during the interview, framing the report as politically motivated and baseless.

The FBI director pointed to agency accomplishments under his leadership as evidence against the allegations, citing reductions in crime and drug overdoses, as well as arrests of high-profile fugitives.

The Atlantic has stood by its reporting. Editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg previously said the outlet maintained confidence in the story, while Fitzpatrick defended her work publicly, stating she stands by "every word" and that the reporting was thoroughly vetted.

Jesse Binnall, an attorney representing Patel, shared a letter that was sent to The Atlantic ahead of the report being published, calling out the magazine for giving the FBI less than two hours to respond to "defamatory assertions" before its stated deadline and that most of the 19 substantive claims are "false."

"They were on notice that the claims were categorically false and defamatory. They published anyway," Binnall said in a statement.

"We have to fight back against the fake news," Patel said. "I won't tolerate their attacks on me."

The Atlantic report detailed claims from more than two dozen sources, including allegations that meetings were rescheduled due to late nights involving alcohol and that security personnel at times struggled to reach Patel. It also cited concerns among some officials about his leadership and decision-making.