The White House has denied that US President Donald Trump was considering removing Kash Patel as director of the FBI.
News outlet MS NOW, citing three unidentified people with knowledge of the situation, said in an online report that Mr Trump and his top aides had grown increasingly frustrated by the unflattering headlines Mr Patel has generated.
They have confided to allies that the president is weighing removing Mr Patel and considering top FBI official Andrew Bailey as his replacement, according to MS NOW, formerly MSNBC.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on X that the story was "completely made up" and posted a photo of Mr Trump and Mr Patel that she said was taken in the Oval Office today.
Ms Leavitt said Mr Trump and Mr Patel were in a meeting when the report was published.
The US president reacted to it by laughing and saying: "What? That's totally false. Come on Kash, let’s take a picture to show them you’re doing a great job!"
