Did FBI director Kash Patel fire an agent trainee for displaying a pride flag? Details of the reported incident explored

On Wednesday, October 1, FBI director Kash Patel signed a dismissal letter addressing a trainee at the agency. 

The display of a gay pride flag on his work desk is now being perceived as the cause behind his termination, sources with inside knowledge of the incident have shared with MSNBC. 

A copy of the dismissal letter was provided to the media outlet, which reveals that the unnamed trainee was attending the Quantico facility in Virgina. While the letter has no direct mention of the pride flag, it appears to be hinting at it as Kash Patel cites his "political signage". It reads:

"After reviewing the facts and circumstances and considering your probationary status, I have determined that you exercised poor judgment with an inappropriate display of political signage in your work area during your previous assignment in the Los Angeles Field Office."

The dismissal letter also cited Donald Trump's interpretation of the Constitution's Article II, which seemingly grants him unlimited authority. 

MSNBC reports that the recently dismissed trainee had won an Attorney General's Award three years ago, as a recognition of his work. 

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 FBI Director Kash Patel fires FBI agent trainee for having a gay pride flag on his desk, MSNBC reports. pic.twitter.com/cHZTotjYyL

— ልረጎቿክ🌌 (@AlienBuzzHQ) October 3, 2025

A source familiar with the internal activities of the government has also claimed to the news outlet that his firing has caused concerns in the agency's Washington DC office. Several FBI agents have to scan their work desks and social media handles for anything that the President can find offensive. 

Nobody wants to risk their job at the agency and suffer the same fate as the unnamed trainee. 

​The new firing comes days after the FBI agents supporting BLM movement were fired 

The latest dismissal letter has surfaced days after 15 FBI agents were fired from the agency. These agents were dismissed over an incident from 2020, when they were all photographed kneeling in a protest over the police killing of George Floyd. 

According to an inside source, while more FBI agents were captured in the photographed, only those who were kneeling were fired. 

After the firings took place, the FBI Agents Association was unhappy about it, and told CNN that that they violated the due process rights of the agents. It also criticized Kash Patel's leadership by extension, saying:

"Patel’s dangerous new pattern of actions are weakening the Bureau because they eliminate valuable expertise and damage trust between leadership and the workforce, and make it harder to recruit and retain skilled agents — ultimately putting our nation at greater risk."

According to the news outlet, the photograph was first assessed when it emerged in 2020. Christopher Wray - the FBI director at the time - determined that it didn't violate any agency policy at the time. 

However, the decision to reassess the photograph was taken earlier this year, when the agents involved in it were reassigned without any explanation. Their latest firing hints at the FBI following Trump's lead about his promise to root out the "woke" culture from the agency, CNN reports.