The Atlantic just dropped what it clearly hoped would be a knockout blow against FBI Director Kash Patel. Instead, Patel came out swinging. The magazine published a lengthy anonymously sourced article late Friday night titled “The FBI Director Is MIA,” alleging that Patel has engaged in “erratic behavior,” “excessive drinking,” and “unexplained absences.” The piece cited more than two dozen unnamed sources, including current and former FBI officials, congressional staff, and lobbyists. Patel’s response? He didn’t flinch. Not even for a second. Within hours of the article going live, Patel took to X and made his position crystal clear: see you and your entire entourage of false reporting in court… But do keep at it with the fake news, actual malice standard is now what some would call a legal lay up. https://t.co/MfbHH8OtLv pic.twitter.com/kw5U3LrfMM— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 18, 2026 “Actual malice standard is now what some would call a legal lay up.” That is not the language of a man who is worried. That is the language of a man who knows the reporting is garbage and intends to prove it in court. Patel also shared a screenshot of a letter his FBI team sent to Atlantic reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick before publication, warning her the claims were “categorically false and defamatory.” The Atlantic ran the story anyway. His attorney, Jesse Binnall, reportedly sent a separate pre-publication letter asserting that the “vast majority” of the claims in the piece lack proper sourcing and are demonstrably false. Fox News had more on the fallout: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the magazine that “crime across the country has plummeted to the lowest level in more than 100 years and many high profile criminals have been put behind bars. Director Patel remains a critical player on the Administration’s law and order team.” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche praised Patel’s accomplishments, calling the article an “anonymously sourced hit piece.” FBI Assistant Director Ben Williamson dismissed the reporting as “every obviously fake rumor” from the past 14 months. So the White House, the Attorney General, and the FBI’s own public affairs office are all on record saying this story is fabricated. But sure, The Atlantic cited “two dozen anonymous sources.” Sound familiar? It should. This is the same playbook the media has used against every effective member of the Trump administration since 2017. Patel wasn’t done, either. He followed up with another post that should make every journalist at The Atlantic think twice about what they just printed: Memo to the fake news – the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop. Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America…— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 18, 2026 “Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing.” He is not wrong. Here is the part The Atlantic conveniently buried. Under Patel’s leadership, the FBI has overseen 67,000 arrests nationwide, a 112% increase in violent crime arrests, and the recovery of more than 6,200 missing children. Those are not the numbers of an absent director. Those are the numbers of an agency that is finally doing its job. RedState pointed out another key detail that undercuts the entire “MIA” narrative: Erica Knight from the FBI provided contrasting facts, noting Patel has taken only 17 days off since assuming office, significantly less than predecessors. She emphasized: “The so-called ‘intoxication incidents’ have happened exactly ZERO times.” The piece was released Friday evening with only a two-hour notice to Patel’s office before publication, a practice characterized as an ambush tactic designed to minimize the opportunity for a thorough rebuttal. Seventeen days off. That is roughly half the time taken by former Directors Comey and Wray during comparable periods. And the “intoxication incidents” that formed the backbone of the article? According to the FBI itself, they never happened. Not once. The pattern here could not be more transparent. Patel is delivering results that terrify the establishment. So the media falls back on what it does best: anonymous sources, character assassination, and a Friday night news dump designed to dominate the weekend cycle. Patel is not playing that game. He is lawyering up and daring them to prove a single word of it in court.

President Trump just dropped what might be one of the most anticipated announcements of his second term. And no, it has nothing to do with tariffs or the border. It’s about UFOs. Speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday evening, President Trump told the crowd that the Pentagon’s review of classified UFO files has turned up “many very interesting documents.” He confirmed that the first batch of those files would be released to the public “very, very soon.” The crowd loved it. And honestly, who wouldn’t? The federal government has been sitting on this stuff for decades, and now we’re finally getting some answers. Here’s the moment: NOW – Trump on UFO disclosure: "We found many very interesting documents, I must say— and the first releases will begin very very soon." pic.twitter.com/v7ZPrvMFuh— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) April 17, 2026 President Trump told the Arizona audience that he “recently directed the Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth “to begin releasing government files relating to UFOs and unexplained aerial phenomena.” He added that the process was “well underway.” He also joked with the crowd, saying Arizona seemed like the right place to make the announcement because the people there are “really into this.” This all traces back to February, when President Trump issued a formal directive through Truth Social ordering the Department of War and other agencies to begin identifying and releasing government files on “alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs).” The White House posted the full statement: "Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and… pic.twitter.com/3fKQ7wrSvi— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 20, 2026 Now, two months later, it looks like the gears are actually turning. That’s more than most presidents have ever delivered on this topic. The Gateway Pundit had more on the announcement: At a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday, President Trump announced he directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to declassify UFO and UAP files. Trump stated: “I recently directed the Secretary of War to begin releasing government files relating to UFOs and unexplained aerial phenomena.” He continued: “This process was well underway, and we’ve found many interesting documents, and the first releases will begin very, very soon.” Rep. Tim Burchett has led UAP hearings since 2023 and urged file releases. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna used subpoena power demanding classified UAP videos from the Pentagon after missed deadlines. The Pentagon angle is especially interesting. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who chairs the House Oversight Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, sent a formal letter to Secretary Hegseth on March 31 demanding the release of 46 specific UAP video files. She set an April 14 deadline. The Pentagon blew right past it. Luna didn’t back down. She told reporters she’s prepared to work with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer to use subpoena authority if the Pentagon continues to stonewall. Her letter reportedly named individual video files by title, date, location, and even military callsign. Tampa Free Press reported on the broader context: The federal government has begun declassifying long-held UFO and unexplained aerial phenomena records. President Trump announced the initiative at a Turning Point USA event on Friday, indicating the review process is progressing quickly. Trump said: “I’m pleased to report today that this process is well underway, and we’ve found many very interesting documents. The first releases will begin very, very soon.” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and senior intelligence officials are spearheading the declassification effort. Trump issued the initial directive in February 2026. The effort follows Congressional pressure, including January 2026 calls from Rep. Eric Burlison for stronger whistleblower protections. Between President Trump’s direct order, Hegseth leading the review, and Luna threatening subpoenas, the walls of secrecy around government UFO files are closing in fast. Whatever is in those documents, the American people are about to find out.

According to the New York Post, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), who is married, was allegedly spotted kissing a much younger congressional staffer in 2023. Gomez was a member of former Congressman Eric Swalwell’s “Cool Kids Clique,” the outlet stated. The ‘clique’ reportedly included Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) while all three were in the House of Representatives. Rep. Jimmy Gomez – member of Eric Swalwell's 'Cool Kids Clique' – accused of kissing much younger staffer https://t.co/JVOwmNYH0f pic.twitter.com/gczHji4VL7 — New York Post (@nypost) April 18, 2026 More from the New York Post: While Gallego, Swalwell’s closest friend in Congress, faced questions about what he knew after at least five women accused Swalwell of sexual assault and harassment, people involved in Democratic politics told The Post that the lower-profile Gomez warrants more scrutiny. “This behavior of open philandering by married male members of Congress is pervasive and long overdue to be addressed,” one source told The Post. “Regardless [of whether] it is a staff member of their own or another congressman, there is a massive power dynamic that fosters a culture of abuse. You have these married male congressmen openly cheating on their wives with female staffers — how is that not grounds for expulsion?” The 2023 incident involved Gomez, now 51, making out with an aide to a different House Democrat outside a backyard party hosted by Swalwell to celebrate the start of the August congressional recess. The aide, two decades younger than Gomez, “was sitting on the hood of the car and they were going at it,” according to a source who was smoking a cigarette in front of Swalwell’s home about a mile from the Capitol. “They were down the street a little bit. But it wasn’t that discreet.” A second source, who was waiting for an Uber, recalled that “someone pointed it out and it took me a second to recognize who it was. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) said Gallego faces allegations of sexual misconduct and sent the matter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office for investigation. “S*xual In Nature” – Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Says Senate Democrat Faces Allegations “It’s seems like the Senate has its own trash to take out. @LeaderJohnThune. You need to look into the allegations against one of your Senators, it’s very disturbing. My chief will be contacting your chief,” Luna previously wrote in a cryptic post. It’s seems like the Senate has its own trash to take out. @LeaderJohnThune You need to look into the allegations against one of your Senators, it’s very disturbing. My chief will be contacting your chief. — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) April 15, 2026 Luna confirmed her post was referring to the Arizona Democrat. “We are talking about an Arizona senator that was very closely tied to Eric Swalwell, and I have since confirmed with Senator John Thune’s chief of staff, as well as their linking us to their ethics that they are investigating, and we are sending all appropriate information directly to them now,” Luna said. The Florida Republican said a woman is allegedly preparing to come forward with attorneys and wants to go on the record about allegations against Gallego. Luna said the allegations are allegedly “sexual in nature.” She also referenced allegations of “campaign finance violations.” Watch below: NEW: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is accusing Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) of misconduct, telling CBS News’ Major Garrett her office has provided Senate Majority Leader Thune’s staff with allegations related to Gallego that are “sexual in nature.” CBS News has reached out to… pic.twitter.com/z4L54nix3v — CBS News (@CBSNews) April 16, 2026 Newsweek shared further: A Gallego spokesperson dismissed the allegations, telling CBS News on Thursday: "These are right-wing conspiracy theories being parroted by a fringe far right member of Congress. Senator Gallego has not received notification or been contacted by the ethics committee." Sexual misconduct allegations have gripped Congress this week. Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell of California suspended his gubernatorial campaign on Sunday and resigned from Congress on Tuesday following multiple sexual assault allegations. Swalwell has denied the accusations, and when reached via phone on Tuesday afternoon, he told Newsweek, "I have no comment on anything—period—and I'm going to hang up now." Meanwhile, Republican Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas—who admitted in March to having had an affair with a staffer who died by suicide last year, and was last week hit with new allegations that he sent sexual messages to a separate campaign staffer in 2020—said on Monday that he would resign from Congress amid mounting bipartisan scrutiny of his conduct.

Mott The Hoople’s The Hoople album was a fitting swansong

'I don't plan on making another update about my dad'