FBI spox unleashes on media’s ‘transparent spin job’ that recent firings were ‘devastating’ to Iran work

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AnFBI spokesmantore into the media on Wednesday for claiming a string of recent firings at the bureau were detrimental to its work on Iran, alleging the reports were poorly sourced and “total BS.”

Ben Williamson, FBI assistant director of public affairs, excoriatedCBS NewsandMS Nowon social media after their reporting raised alarm about FBI Director Kash Patel’s recent decision to fire about a dozen employees for allegedly violating their ethics and the bureau’s mission.

The spokesman accused the media of attempting to stir up worries that the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency was ill-prepared to combat threats Iran posed to the United States in the wake of PresidentDonald Trumplaunching a war against the country on Saturday.

“I can play the ‘sources’ game too – the difference is mine know what they’re talking about,” Williamson wrote, saying he spoke with several FBI executives and supervisors who confirmed that “only 3” of those fired worked on Iran matters.

FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Nov.19, 2025.(Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

His remark came in response to a CBS News report that a source called the firings “‘devastating’ to the FBI’s Iran program and said that these agents have confidential informants in the U.S.-Iranian community who are not replaceable.”

Williamson said that characterization was “total BS,” adding the FBI “surges resources and personnel from all over the country to prepare for these things.”

The firings occurred last week after Patel revealed that his and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles’ phone records were subpoenaed as part of the Biden Department of Justice’s sweeping investigations into President Donald Trump and his allies.While the subpoena documents have not been made public, Patel and Wiles were private citizens at the time and known witnesses in the DOJ’s investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents.

TheBiden FBIalso allegedly recorded a phone call between Wiles and her lawyer in 2023 with her lawyer’s permission, unbeknownst to Wiles, two law enforcement sources said.A lawyer representing Wiles at the time disputed that claim, telling Axios he was unaware of a call with his client being recorded.

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White House chief of staff Susie Wiles sits in the Oval Office, as U.S.President Donald Trump signs an executive order at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Dec.18, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

Williamson wrote on X that ahead of the terminations, the FBI had a “record year” in counterintelligence in 2025, notching 35% more arrests than the prior year and capturing six fugitives on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” list.The spokesman said the operations were “not something run by three people out of one unit” and that the media reports were a “transparent spin job by people mad about firings.”

Asked for comment, Williamson pointed to his public remarks.

An aerial view of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Aug.10, 2022, in Palm Beach, Florida.(AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

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Patel’s firings have drawn praise from some inTrump’sbase who say the Biden DOJ and FBI abused their authority to target Trump while he was running for president and that the terminations represent overdue accountability.

The firings, however, have also drawn condemnation from critics, including the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA), which represents thousands of employees and has maintained that agents’ actions are typically the result of following orders within a chain of command.

“The FBIAA condemns [the Feb.25] unlawful termination of FBI Special Agents, which—like other firings by Director Patel—violates the due process rights of those who risk their lives to protect our country,” the FBIAA said.“These actions weaken the Bureau by stripping away critical expertise and destabilizing the workforce, undermining trust in leadership and jeopardizing the Bureau’s ability to meet its recruitment goals—ultimately putting the nation at greater risk.”