Trump directs Kash Patel to purge biased FBI agents tied to 'Arctic Frost' probe: 'Get them out'

Donald Trump described the FBI officials as 'Radical Left Lunatics put in by the ‘Auto Pen’ and Obama'
PUBLISHED JAN 13, 2026
FBI Director Kash Patel uncovered hidden 'Arctic Frost' documents on Republicans, exposing former FBI official Timothy Thibault’s alleged partisan actions (Screengrab/@BrianClifton/X, Getty Images)
FBI Director Kash Patel uncovered hidden 'Arctic Frost' documents on Republicans, exposing former FBI official Timothy Thibault’s alleged partisan actions (Screengrab/@BrianClifton/X, Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to call on FBI Director Kash Patel to purge what he called “corrupt” FBI agents following revelations about the "Arctic Frost" investigation.

Citing newly disclosed internal communications, Trump demanded that the agents be removed, asserting that the bureau had unfairly targeted him and Republican organizations. His post included a news report by Just the News detailing the conduct of former FBI officials connected to the investigation.



Trump's demand to Kash Patel and the 'Arctic Frost' controversy

Trump’s message declared that certain FBI agents tied to controversy were “total Scum” and “no better than the insurrectionists in Portland, Minnesota, Los Angeles, etc,” urging Patel to remove them immediately.

He described them as “Radical Left Lunatics put in by the ‘Auto Pen’ and Obama!” and referring to a news report that disclosed internal FBI communications reportedly showing bias.

The referenced report focused on the "Arctic Frost" probe, originally centered on the January 6, 2021, Capitol unrest, but according to the article, it was expanded to encompass Trump personally, his political allies, Republican organizations, and elected officials nationwide.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 6: Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to
Donald Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

The attached report also cited former FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault as playing a central role in initiating the probe. The article stated Thibault had posted anti-Trump content on social media prior to authorizing the investigation in April 2022.

It also noted that he circulated left-leaning articles and opinion pieces within the FBI to justify targeting Trump and associates. 

According to the internal communications described in the report, Thibault shared with colleagues a “prosecution memo-style” article authored by former Obama DOJ official Barbara McQuade, which analyzed potential charges against Trump related to January 6. 

He also forwarded podcasts and NPR broadcasts emphasizing Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. While the report indicated he admitted lacking direct evidence early on, he nevertheless encouraged colleagues to seek out information that could support naming Trump a subject of the case.

U.S. President Donald Trump takes questions from the members of the press aboard Air Force One on January 11, 2026 en route back to the White House from Palm Beach, Florida. The President spent the weekend at his private club Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Donald Trump takes questions from the members of the press aboard Air Force One on January 11, 2026, en route to the White House from Palm Beach, Florida (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) 

Kash Patel’s testimony and FBI involvement in 'Arctic Frost'

Emails and memos obtained by Congress and released in part by Sen Chuck Grassley showed Thibault pushing for “DJT” to be included in "Arctic Frost" launch documents even after the original scope focused on the campaign and unknown subjects.

An FBI official named Christopher Macrae later sent written approvals from then-FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland to open the investigation. 

The probe’s scope allegedly extended beyond Trump to involve scrutiny of organizations such as the Republican National Committee, the Republican Attorneys General Association, and Turning Point USA, whose founder, Charlie Kirk, was shot and killed in 2025.



In testimony last September, Patel stated that his review of "Arctic Frost" files uncovered extensive surveillance and data collection on elected officials, including eight Republican senators and one congressman, with the communication records reportedly hidden in a secure vault requiring top-level authorization.

He said he located these documents and terminated the agents responsible for them. Patel also claimed to have disbanded the CR-15 public corruption unit at the Washington Field Office, calling it the core squad behind what he termed the bureau’s “weaponization.”

One Republican senator, Josh Hawley, was quoted as characterizing the data-gathering operation as “an abuse of power beyond Watergate” and calling for full legal accountability for those involved.

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