Did FBI Director Kash Patel fire all agents who kneeled during the George Floyd protests?
Did FBI Director Kash Patel just fire all the FBI agents who knelt during the 2020 George Floyd protests?
Misleading
The claim about firing all agents is misleading.
The claim that FBI Director Kash Patel fired all agents who kneeled during the George Floyd protests is misleading. While a group of agents was fired in late September 2025, it was not all agents, and the context has been exaggerated.
GenuineClaims
1 checkedFBI Director Kash Patel has now officially FIRED all the agents who kneeled during the George Floyd riots in 2020.123456
Major news outlets confirmed that a group of FBI agents, not all, were dismissed under Kash Patel's leadership in late September 2025. The original claim exaggerates the scope, implying all agents were fired when only approximately 12 to 20 agents were affected. Furthermore, it presents this firing as breaking news, creating a misleading narrative considering the timing.
What was posted
XThe post claims that FBI Director Kash Patel fired all agents who kneeled during the protests.
“📷BREAKING: FBI Director Kash Patel has now officially FIRED all the agents who kneeled during the George Floyd riots in 2020!”
“📷BREAKING: FBI Director Kash Patel has now officially FIRED all the agents who kneeled during the George Floyd riots in 2020!” — translated
Who posted it
XAccount check
Estimates from public signals — account age, posting pattern, audience — not a judgement of the person behind the account, and separate from whether this post is true.
What stood out
- Account lacks a display name and bio, which are uncommon for genuine users.
- No follower count available, making it difficult to assess the account's reach or influence.
- Account is not verified, reducing its credibility.
- No recent posts, indicating potential inactivity or a lack of content.
- No additional context or information found through web search, suggesting limited online presence.
Signals (4)+
- Posting cadence
- 0
- Follower ratio
- 0
- Notable news coverage
- 0
- Fact check history
- 0
Account checked October 21, 2026, 15:10 UTC
The media
Image✓ What is genuine
The image is an authentic news-style photograph of Kash Patel.
Synthetic-media detector
Detector not consultedThe media is incidental to the claim; the detector was not needed.
Sources
6 sources reviewed- 1FBI fires agents photographed kneeling during 2020 George Floyd protests ↗
The Washington Post · washingtonpost.comReputable outletLean Left (AllSides)Evidence
Reports the firing of a group of agents who kneeled during protests and suggests a number, around 20.
- 2FBI fires agents who kneeled at protest after George Floyd's death: Sources ↗
ABC News · abcnews.comUntiereduntiered — treated as signal only, never decisiveEvidence
Confirms that agents were fired for kneeling during the protests.
- 3FBI fires agents photographed kneeling during 2020 racial justice protest, sources say ↗
Los Angeles Times (AP reporting) · latimes.comUntiereduntiered — treated as signal only, never decisiveEvidence
Confirms the number and context of firings related to the kneeling agents.
- 4FBI fires agents pictured kneeling during racial justice protest in 2020 ↗
Investing.com (Reuters text) · investing.comUntiereduntiered — treated as signal only, never decisiveEvidence
Further verification from reliable sources about the firing of kneeling agents.
- 5FBI fires agents who kneeled during 2020 racial justice protest ↗
The Guardian · theguardian.comReputable outletLean Left (AllSides)Evidence
Provides context about the firings and reactions from the agents.
- 6Does v. Patel — Second Amended Complaint (PDF) ↗
Just Security (court filing copy) · justsecurity.orgUntiereduntiered — treated as signal only, never decisiveEvidence
Details an ongoing legal case related to the fired agents.
Further reading
- 1The Washington Post The Washington Post article provides an in-depth look at the firings and context.
- 2ABC News ABC News gives additional sources about the agents' terminations.
- 5The Guardian The Guardian discusses reactions from the affected agents' side.
The full story
In late September 2025, various reputable news outlets reported that FBI Director Kash Patel had overseen the dismissal of a group of FBI agents who were photographed kneeling during a June 4, 2020 protest regarding racial justice. This protest occurred following the death of George Floyd and had sparked widespread demonstrations across the United States. Reports indicated that approximately 12 to 20 agents were let go, and a few of these former agents subsequently filed lawsuits, alleging wrongful termination and claiming political retaliation for their actions during the protest. The social media post's assertion that 'all' agents were fired and its framing of this as 'breaking' news exaggerates the actual events and misleads the public about the scale and timing of the firings.
Kernel of truth
While it is true that a number of agents were fired, the claim that all kneeling agents were dismissed is unsupported.
Timeline
June 4, 2020
Protest occurs, and some FBI agents kneel during events tied to George Floyd's death.
September 27, 2025
Reputable news outlets report the firing of a group of agents for kneeling during protests. 1The Washington Post
How it was framed
The claim misleads by overstating the number of agents fired and misrepresenting the timing of this information as new.
- Emotional language. The post uses the term 'BREAKING' to create urgency and impact.
- Missing context. It lacks details about the specific number of agents fired and the context of their dismissal.
Posted on Twitter by a user with a significant following.
Bias
Leans sensationalist/right-leaning framing. The post uses a large "BREAKING" banner and an absolutist phrasing ('all the agents') and labels the 2020 protests as 'riots', which amplifies urgency and assigns a partisan valence to the personnel action.
Bias describes how the post frames its message — the slant of the language, selection and emphasis — and is judged separately from whether the claim is true. A true claim can still be framed with a strong slant.
How we checked
1 min 6 s- 1
We searched for news reports regarding Kash Patel's actions as FBI Director.
- 2
We reviewed major outlets for confirmation of any firings of FBI agents.
- 3
We examined details to understand the scope and timing of these firings.
✓ Claim checked✓ Media checked✓ Sources checked
Why 86% confidence
HighOur findings come from multiple reputable sources, leading us to assign a high confidence band.
Limits. We could not assess veracity beyond what major outlets provided. No new reports emerged directly contradicting our findings.
What we don’t know
- What specific legal actions the fired agents are pursuing.
- If there will be further ramifications from the disclosures related to these firings.
- How public perception of the firings might evolve over time.
Spot it yourself
Spot the fakeLooks suspicious, isn’t proof
- The use of 'BREAKING' may suggest urgency but can mislead.
- The source is a non-mainstream account, which raises questions.
- The dramatic phrasing in the post heightens doubt about its accuracy.
The actual evidence
- Reports from major outlets confirmed the firing of FBI agents, but acknowledged it was a subset, not all.
- The timing of the firings being labeled 'breaking' is inaccurate as the event was reported a year prior.
- The number of agents fired was small and specified, contrary to the claim that it involved 'all' agents.
- 1
Check for reputable sources.
Look for reports from established news organizations covering the same event.
- 2
Verify the timing of claims.
Investigate if what is being presented as new news has already been reported.
- 3
Examine the language used.
Watch for emotionally charged words that may indicate an intent to mislead.
Takeaway
Always cross-reference claims with reliable news sources before believing them. Misleading headlines often exaggerate or manipulate facts.
Questions people ask
Did Kash Patel fire only some or all agents who kneeled?+
Reports indicate that Kash Patel fired a subset of agents, specifically around 12 to 20, not all agents who ever kneeled.
Why is the post considered misleading?+
It claims that all agents were fired and presents the information as breaking news, which exaggerates the reality.
What was the public reaction to the firings?+
There is documentation of lawsuits from some of the dismissed agents who claim wrongful termination, suggesting significant dissatisfaction.
Go deeper
- Misinformation
- False or misleading information spread, regardless of intent.
- Disinformation
- Deliberately misleading information spread with the intent to deceive.
- Source Verification
- The process of confirming that information comes from a reliable and credible source.
People also search for
For educators+
- How can emotional language influence public perception?
- What steps can students take to verify information they see online?
- In what ways can misleading headlines change the narrative surrounding an event?
About this check
- Platform
- X
- Posted by
- @debbieliz56
- Posted
- October 20, 2026
- Age when checked
- Under 24 hours old when checked
- Where it spread
- United States
- Audience
- US audience
- Language
- EN
- Status
- ● Post is live
- Verified
- October 21, 2026, 15:13 UTC
- Published
- October 21, 2026, 15:13 UTC
Reach. 17.3K likes, 375 replies; MEAWW fact-check
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