ISTANBUL

The White House rejected reports Tuesday that said US President Donald Trump is considering the removal of FBI Director Kash Patel.

“This story is completely made up,” spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on US social media company X, noting she was in the Oval Office with Trump and Patel when the MS NOW story was published.

She said Trump laughed and said, “That’s totally false.”

Trump recently praised Patel publicly during a Thanksgiving turkey pardoning ceremony, saying he is "very busy doing a great job."

An MS NOW report that cited unnamed sources suggested that Trump is considering the removal of Patel, driven by frustration within the White House about "unflattering headlines Patel has recently generated."

Patel is on "thin ice" as negative headlines mount and his removal is "closer than ever," sources close to the situation told the news outlet.

Top FBI official Andrew Bailey has been identified as the likely successor should the president decide to dismiss Patel, according to the sources.

The administration could utilize the Federal Vacancies Reform Act to appoint Bailey as acting director without immediate Senate confirmation.

But a timing constraint requires Bailey to complete 90 days in his current senior position as co-deputy director at the FBI, which he assumed Sept. 15. making him eligible for the role starting in mid-December.