Steve Bannon made a pointed assessment of the Trump administration’s current satisfaction with FBI Director Kash Patel after a bombshell report from The Atlantic about his personal conduct.

During Monday’s episode of his “War Room” podcast, Bannon suggested Fox News host Maria Bartiromo’s grilling of Patel to present evidence that the 2020 election was stolen was seemingly a “sanctioned hit” from the Trump administration.

Bartiromo pressed Patel on whether he had any information to back President Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was “rigged” against him.

“Absolutely,” Patel said, before going on a long-winded rant. “We are not going to take this and have not taken this laying down.”

After playing the clip, Bannon compared the interaction to one that Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) had with then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in March, shortly before Trump fired her.

“He literarlly eviscerated her,” Bannon said about Kennedy’s questioning of Noem in front of Congress last month. “When you see something like that, that’s called a sanctioned hit. That is signed off on, they’re trying to get some information out or trying to see exactly if somebody is really doing their job.”

Bannon then said Bartiromo was essentially doing the same thing to Patel.

“Maria Bartiromo, that was a sanctioned hit yesterday on Kash,” Bannon said. “I think somebody wants to know when Kash and the FBI are really going to start to ramp up here.”

BANNON: Maria Bartiromo pulled a "sanctioned hit" on Kash Patel yesterday. I think somebody wants to know when Kash and the FBI are really going to start to ramp up here. pic.twitter.com/r586xdVbg6

Patel has been embroiled in scandal over the past several months following a scathing story published in The Atlantic, and his behavior at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he was filmed chugging beer in the Team USA hockey locker room after their victory in the gold medal game.

Last week, Patel claimed his presence at the Olympics was part of the FBI’s official duties in providing security for the Games.

Patel has also denied the validity of The Atlantic’s reporting. He filed a $250 million lawsuit against the outlet on Monday, accusing it of publishing a “hit piece.”

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