The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is anticipated to dismiss numerous FBI agents involved in investigations related to him and the January 6, 2021, events at the Capitol.
Officials are particularly scrutinizing individuals connected to former special counsel Jack Smith's inquiries into the January 6 incident and classified documents, as well as those who may oppose the administration's new policies.
The firings could commence as soon as Friday, with a finalized list expected by Monday, potentially affecting numerous field office leaders and agents, especially within the FBI's Washington, D.C., office.
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on personnel matters, while Trump's FBI director nominee, Kash Patel, assured during his confirmation hearing that all agents would be treated equally and protected from political retaliation.
The FBI Agents Association expressed concern that these potential firings contradict Patel's prior commitments to ensure due process and protection for agents based on their assigned cases, arguing that such actions undermine the law enforcement goals set by President Trump.
Dismissing potentially hundreds of Agents would significantly undermine the Bureau's capacity to safeguard the nation against national security and criminal threats, ultimately jeopardizing the Bureau and its new leadership's chances of success.
During a press conference in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump responded to inquiries regarding potential firings or departures of Justice Department employees, suggesting that such actions could be beneficial.
He said , "If they fired some people over there, that's a good thing because they were very bad," accusing them of using the Justice Department to target political adversaries, which he deemed illegal.
Trump refuted the claim, asserting, "No, but we have some very bad people over there. It was weaponized at a level that nobody's ever seen before."