MS NOW issued an on-air correction Wednesday after reporting that FBI Director Kash Patel had arrived in Russia. The network later said Patel had not landed there and remained in the United States. The FBI said he was in Virginia attending a law enforcement appreciation event at Liberty University.
Anchor Peter Alexander initially told viewers the network had learned Patel landed in Russia for a scheduled meeting, citing two people familiar with the matter. MS NOW’s justice and intelligence reporter Ken Dilanian then discussed the report, saying FBI sources were concerned about the purpose of the trip and that a visit involving Russia’s security service, the FSB, would draw attention.
The FBI’s Rapid Response account disputed the report shortly afterward, saying Patel was in Virginia. Its post criticized the network’s sourcing. Patel also responded publicly, writing, “Facts over clickbait.”
Later Wednesday, Dilanian corrected the broadcast. He said the network had been told by two sources that Patel had landed in Russia, but that MS NOW had since learned he had not. Dilanian said the FBI had not answered the network’s questions and that the timing of any possible trip remained unclear. He apologized for the error and said the network sought to be transparent when it makes mistakes.
Asked for comment by Fox News Digital, MS NOW referred the outlet to Dilanian’s correction. The source material says Politico reported in July that Patel had a planned trip to Russia, with Moscow and St. Petersburg listed as stops. It does not establish that the trip had taken place or specify when it might occur.
