President Trump applauded FBI Director Kash Patel for catching the shooter who killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“I am very proud of the FBI,” Mr. Trump told Fox News Digital. “Kash—and everyone else—they have done a great job.”
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, announced Friday that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was arrested in the shooting death of Mr. Kirk. It came just over 30 hours after the incident.
In response to Mr. Trump’s comments about him, Mr. Patel wrote on X, “Because of your leadership, Mr. President: Justice will be served.”
In another post, Mr. Patel said, “Against all recommendations, we demanded the video footage and enhanced stills of the suspect be released to the public. Robinson’s father, who ultimately turned him in to authorities, told law enforcement that he recognized his son in that released video.”
The president’s praise comes after some Trump administration allies were criticizing Mr. Patel online for how the search for the killer was going.
“I’m grateful that Utah authorities have captured the suspect in the Charlie Kirk assassination, and think it is time for Republicans to assess whether Kash Patel is the right man to run the FBI. He performed terribly in the last few days, and it’s not clear whether he has the operational expertise to investigate, infiltrate, and disrupt the violent movements—of whatever ideology—that threaten the peace in the United States,” Christopher Rufo, conservative activist and senior fellow at the conservative think tank the Manhattan Institute, wrote on X Friday.
“We would be wise to take a moment and ask whether Kash Patel has what it takes to get this done. I’ve been on the phone the last few days with many conservative leaders, all of whom wholeheartedly support the Trump Administration and none of whom are confident that the current structure of the FBI is up to this task,” he wrote.
Mr. Patel had initially said on Wednesday after the shooting that a “subject” was in custody, but a few hours later, that person was “released after interrogation by law enforcement.”
Still, after the Friday announcement that Mr. Robinson was in custody, people in Mr. Kirk’s circle thanked Mr. Patel for his work.
“Thank you, Kash and thank you, Dan. You told us you wouldn’t stop, you wouldn’t sleep until you got him. You were men of your word,” Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show, wrote on X.
