Sarah Fitzpatrick of The Atlantic reported that last week, Patel was unable to log into an internal computer system which convinced him that he was another victim of the "purge" in the Trump administration.

People close to Patel are said to have witnessed his behaviour after the login trouble, and have stated that he is "paranoid" about losing his job. He obviously has not been fired and the access problem was a technical error, but there are current officials who are allegedly not very optimistic about his future in the bureau.

"We're all just waiting for the word," a senior official told The Atlantic hinting as his potential ouster.

The publication has learned from insiders that Patel is allegedly a heavy drinker, describing him as "erratic" and someone who is suspicious of others and prone to jumping to conclusions without any substantial evidence.

There have reportedly been instances when Patel was inebriated and meetings had to be rescheduled. Several officials reportedly told The Atlantic that his drinking problem has been a cause for concern.

Amidst all these claims, the White House seems to be backing Patel and highlighting his contributions in reduction of domestic crime. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently said that crime in the US "has plummeted to the lowest level in more than 100 years," with Patel as the FBI chief.

Patel himself has lashed out over "fake hit pieces" against him and threatened to sue The Atlantic.

Kash Patel sues The Atlantic

Patel and his legal team have filed a lawsuit against Fitzpatrick and The Atlantic over the "intoxication claims" in her report which they say is "fabricated."