• BenVimes@lemmy.ca
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    14 days ago

    Just as as outside observer, the fact that Kash Patel was confirmed as FBI Director by the US Senate is one of the most glaring examples of Trump’s complete capture of the Republican party. He seems so monumentally unqualified that I can’t conclude his confirmation was the result of anything other than fear of reprisal on the part of the senators.

    • Carmakazi@piefed.social
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      14 days ago

      The FBI, evil as it is, has been in the way of the Trump regime since Mueller. They realistically couldn’t make such an established federal law enforcement arm their personal SA like ICE is now, so they exacted their revenge and destroyed the organization so they could move forward with their coup.

    • dan1101@lemmy.world
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      14 days ago

      This was one nomination not one Democrat voted for. Two Republicas voted no, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.

    • not_IO@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      14 days ago

      i think the momentum trump had last yesr with the sweeping staff changes and doge overwhelmed everyone at the time but it’s completely gone now

  • tal@lemmy.today
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    15 days ago

    The February post said Patel’s “retard rating just went to all time highs. Congratulations Kash.”

    Patel thought the post warranted a reply, and pressured agents to “continuously” respond with the bureau’s “record year results.”

    I kind of feel that maybe, instead of passing laws to keep children off social media because they can’t handle it, we should be focusing on keeping certain adults off because they can’t handle it.

    I’m fairly confident that a typical fifteen-year-old is more able to deal with social media comments than this.

    EDIT: More seriously, though, maybe institutionalize that organizations should have a dedicated public relations team handle social media and not have leaders do so.

    EDIT2: I remember reading through FOIA logs of phone messages for J. Edgar Hoover from back when he was running the FBI. The overwhelming majority were from people who were drunk or crackpots. At that point in time, we understood that there should be a secretary interfacing with said calls and screening them, where the leader never even sees the calls unless they’re something actually significant and relevant. I feel like maybe organizational standards have not kept up with technology.

    • Tyrq@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      15 days ago

      You say that, but I don’t know if I find that much more comforting than actually having all these lunatics unmask themselves so brazenly, it’s actually kind of refreshing, honestly.

        • nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de
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          14 days ago

          It’s helpful if they ever aren’t in power, but I worry they have dropped the mask because they have the system rigged enough to never face consequences.

  • TWeaK@lemmy.today
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    15 days ago

    …Is he wearing glasses with zero prescription, so that it makes him look smart?

    • tal@lemmy.today
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      14 days ago

      “Fight”, not “find”. He was telling them to keep posting favorable posts in response to the guy. Which is, on one hand, is less concerning, but on the other hand…he’s deploying FBI personnel to participate in flamewars on Twitter with a troll who insulted him.

      • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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        14 days ago

        It’s an admirable goal.

        I have difficulty understanding how Kash Patel can look in a mirror every morning and fail to acknowledge that he’s one of the biggest douches in the universe.

          • A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world
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            14 days ago

            Well, except bestiality.

            Thats AOK in his books, apparently. Possibly even encouraged for new FBI recruits.

    • BillyClark@piefed.social
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      14 days ago

      Yeah, but jailing him for what? He didn’t break any laws.

      Honestly, I don’t care if Kash Patel got his feelings hurt and responded personally as a citizen, but using any FBI resources on this is a complete waste of taxpayer money.

  • AbsolutelyNotAVelociraptor@piefed.social
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    15 days ago

    He is THAT dense, isn’t he? Fuck, he is thicker than mercury, dammit. How does he think this is gonna play?

    i can’t imagine the face of the guy replying to him trying to explain to him why answering to someone on the internet calling you names is not the best idea.

  • EffortlessGrace@piefed.social
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    9 days ago

    As an Indian-American of Gujarati blood, whose brother has Patel in-laws, I’d like to state that this bhen-chode is a disgrace.

  • Clbull@lemmy.world
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    14 days ago

    Thought I’d check out Ifindretards on Twitter. Oh look, he’s a transphobe, a homophobe, an anti-vaxxer, an Islamophobe, a racist and a Nazi sympathiser.

  • A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip
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    15 days ago

    Doesn’t understand 277,000 views are not the same as 400 replies. But opinionated about antisocial media. Sheesh.

    • HonoraryMancunian@lemmy.world
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      15 days ago

      FBI Director Kash Patel was so upset about being criticized on social media that he directed bureau agents to find offending accounts and respond to them.

      On Thursday, journalist Seth Hettena found texts released by the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act showing conversations where Patel ordered the FBI’s Assistant Director for Public Affairs, Ben Williamson, to respond to a X poster with the name “Ifindretards.”

      The February post said Patel’s “retard rating just went to all time highs. Congratulations Kash.”

      Patel thought the post warranted a reply, and pressured agents to “continuously” respond with the bureau’s “record year results.” Hettena simulated how the text exchange would look on an iPhone:

      When Williamson protested that responding to @IfindRetards would “look bad” on Patel, the director responded that “it’s not about them, it is about the number of views, because people see it and need to be seeing our stats.”

      It’s quite a waste of FBI resources to go after an online troll, but Patel has been overly concerned with social media throughout his tenure, revealing sensitive information from multiple investigations including the Charlie Kirk assassination. Patel isn’t particularly concerned about the bureau’s resources, either, having used them to jet-set around the world partying and hanging out with his singer girlfriend.

      Patel only has his job because of his loyalty to President Trump, publishing an enemies list before Trump was elected in 2024. Since he was narrowly confirmed by the Senate last year, Patel’s stewardship of the FBI has been marked by scandal after scandal, and he quickly lost the confidence of the agents under his command. Right now, the only reason Patel still has his job is that he hasn’t lost the confidence of the president