Networks Show Mixed Interest in The Atlantic's ‘Operation Get Kash’ Smear

Jorge Bonilla
April 21st, 2026 12:38 AM

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Another day, another anonymously sourced hit piece run by the Elitist Media against a member of the Trump Administration. The playbook run against then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh and then-Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth is now being deployed against FBI Director Kash Patel. But the network evening news seems to show early mixed interest in this operation.

Watch as the NBC Nightly News ran a report that sought to substantiate the allegations against Patel but did little more than rehash Patel celebrating with Team USA:

Another day, another anonymously sourced hit piece run by the Elitist Media against a member of the Trump Administration. The playbook run against then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh and then-Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth is now being deployed against FBI Director Kash Patel. But the network evening news seems to show early mixed interest in this operation.

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

4/20/26

6:40:PM

TOM LLAMAS: Now to that $250 million defamation suit filed by the FBI director over a report accusing him of excessive drinking. He dismissed it as a hit piece designed to drive him out of his job. Kelly O’Donnell has the late details.

KELLY O’DONNELL: Tonight, a battle over reputation and reporting.

KASH PATEL: You want to attack my character, come at me, bring me on. I’ll see you in court.

O’DONNELL: Today, FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation suit seeking a staggering $250 million against The Atlantic Monthly Group, after its April 17th story citing anonymous sources reported that bouts of excessive drinking and erratic behavior have put his job on the line. NBC News has not independently verified that reporting. The story claimed on multiple occasions, the director's security detail had “difficulty waking Patel” and states that “a request was made late last year for breaching equipment to gain entry”. Patel's lawsuit calls that claim “pure fantasy” and states that breaching equipment “is provided to all FBI protection details”. Patel had faced criticism for this moment, when he partied with U.S. Men's Hockey winning Olympic gold. He responded that he was extremely humble to celebrate with the boys. 

The director's lawsuit alleges The Atlantic’s story contains false and obviously fabricated allegations, and ignored the FBI's response before it was published. While The Atlantic says, “we stand by our reporting on Kash Patel.” Tom.

LLAMAS: OK Kelly, thank you.

So committed is Kelly O’Donnell to this charade that she quoted the article’s original title in her introduction to the report, the “put his job on the line” phrase, despite the fact that The Atlantic changed that title via ghost edit- as one does when they “stand by” their reporting.

It says quite a bit about this article that ABC’s World News Tonight, the most Trump-deranged among the traditional broadcast nightly network newscasts, ran a brief at the bottom of A-block, as opposed to some 3-minute top shelf item with Mary Bruce or Rachel Scott. 

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT

4/20/16

6:44 PM

DAVID MUIR: To other news this Monday: tonight, FBI director Kash Patel filing a $250 million lawsuit accusing The Atlantic of defamation. The FBI director furious over a report in the atlantic alleging he has, quote, bouts of excessive drinking impacting his job performance. The report claiming it is a source of concern across the government. The lawsuit claims, quote, the atlantic knowingly published defamatory information. Patel telling ABC news the story, quote, "is a lie."

This doesn’t exactly instill confidence in The Atlantic’s reporting. CBS thought better than to air these allegations and declined to run them on the Evening News. 

The Atlantic has a history of running Trump-deranged fiction that won’t play anywhere else. The most notorious example of this genre is the despicable Suckers and Losers Hoax.

Patel’s defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic will endure as a story long after this operation fades from the headlines. Meanwhile, the Elitist Media continue to remind us why trust in media is at an all-time low.

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