Awkward Kash Patel Moments That Were Seen By Millions

Kash Patel is the director of the FBI and a devoted Donald Trump fan, which may well have been a big part of how he got his job. His role in the administration frequently puts him out in front of the American people. However, not all of those appearances are very graceful, and Patel has found himself the butt of many an online joke. It's not quite to the level of the awkwardness that we've seen from Trump, but he seems to be well on his way.

Whether it's being interviewed on TV or standing alongside Trump in the White House, Patel has frequently looked at least a little bit awkward. We're not the only ones who've noticed. Randy Bish, an editorial cartoonist, posted about it on Facebook, saying, "Kash Patel always looks like someone who is using a bidet for the first time." And even some of his supporters can see it. One person on X (formerly known as Twitter), said: "I absolutely support Kash Patel one thing that's been bothering me. He really needs to do a new picture. He looks like he's hypnotized."

Maybe it's just his look? But for someone in front of the camera so often, he might want to consider some media training.

Kash Patel did an interview with Bret Baier for Fox News in May 2025, and the choice of chair had people cracking up. The two men look like they're in the middle of the FBI gym, and someone chose what look like countertop chairs that left Patel with his feet hanging. We can't fathom why someone went with those chairs and that location as all it did was leave people making jokes. One person on Instagram commented, "Why couldn't you find chairs? Instead you made Kash dangle his feet."

Some joked that the chairs made Patel look like a child. "It's nice they took the tray off of it for him," one person wrote on X. And another said, "​​He needs a booster seat."

Kash Patel was at Donald Trump's side during a press conference in August 2025 where Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard to Washington D.C. He may have been trying to look solemn for the event, but instead, he came off looking rather stiff and a bit dead eyed. One person on X shared a photo of Patel at the event, and asked, "Why does Kash Patel look like a terrified wax figure?"

Another quipped: "He's fine. Just in sleep mode. Trump just needs to tap him and he wakes up. Just like your personal computer does." One person explained his look by saying, "Because Patel is so far in over his head that even he is horrified."

Critics have said that Patel isn't qualified to lead the FBI, and Patel has said that he wanted to shut down the department. Christopher Wray was the last FBI director and one of Trump's picks during his first term after Trump fired James Comey. Typically FBI directors are in the position for 10 years, but Wray resigned after Trump touted Patel for the position. Perhaps Patel's stiff look is because he doesn't want to be seen as out of line by Trump in order to help keep his job.

In another interview with Fox News in May 2025, Kash Patel was talking about Donald Trump's immigration policies, and he looked particularly wide eyed. It doesn't really broadcast confident FBI director vibes; instead, it just made him look a bit frantic and perhaps even baffled by what he was discussing.

One person on X asked, "Why does Kash Patel always look frightened?" Another person joked, "Crazy eyes happen when a person has a mix of 'he is the ONE!' and 'try to stay cool, don't get all crazy on camera Patel.'"

Kash Patel was questioned by the senate before he was confirmed as FBI Director, and the line of questioning by some of the Democratic senators left Patel inexplicably unable to answer a yes or no question. Notably, Patel was asked by Senator Peter Welch if he thought that Biden had won the 2020 election. Patel refused to say it, and he wouldn't confirm whether he agreed with Donald Trump's frequent statements that the 2020 election had been stolen from him.

Senator Mazie Hirono also asked Patel about whether or not Trump lost in 2020; Patel couldn't say it, instead saying, "Biden's election was certified," via Hirono's senate website. But he wouldn't directly say that Trump had lost. People online definitely noticed.

One person said of the exchange: "Kash Patel laughs and eyes shift. He knows he's a liar but thinks he'll get away with it." Another critic wrote, "It's a simple yes-or-no question, and dodging it speaks volumes."

When Kash Patel went on Joe Rogan's podcast in June 2025, it was at the height of the drama that signaled the breakup of the bromance between Elon Musk and Donald Trump. It involved a lot of back and forth on social media between the two men, and Rogan read out one of the more inflammatory posts basically in real time. It was the now deleted post where Musk said that Trump "is in the Epstein files," via ABC News. Patel seemed pretty clearly uncomfortable, and said, "I'm not participating in any of that conversation between Elon and Trump. ... I know my lane and that ain't it," per YouTube.

In 2023, Patel talked about the Jeffrey Epstein files, saying the FBI had them. And there are some online who are saying that the Epstein files were very much in fact in his lane. But it may have been that Patel just didn't want to take sides between the two powerful men; both are known for enjoying retribution. Either way, one person summed up the underlying awkwardness of the situation for Patel by saying on X: "How does he not say 'No. Elon is lying.'? Oof. Not looking good."