Morning! The FBI has a central place in American culture. From "Twin Peaks" to "Point Break," "Silence of the Lambs" to "Donnie Brasco" and The X-Files", the 1990s, it seems, loved a fed.

Lately, Federal Agents have become less popular. Samuel Jackson played one in "Snakes on A Plane" but that was ridiculous. Whereas the X-Files, of course, was pure realism from start to finish. Lately there's been Mark Felt, the FBI agent who brought down Nixon by leaking to the Washington Post. Come to think of it? That could explain why incoming FBI Director Kash Patel has started polygraphing everyone. He doesn't want his agency going after his boss.

Today’s lead story is by Adam Goldman. And that’s the crux of it. Upon his confirmation, Patel made his intentions clear: he aimed to reshape the FBI in a manner aligning closely with President Donald Trump's administration's vision and, er, interests.

In his book Government Gangsters, Patel wrote, “The F.B.I. has become so thoroughly compromised that it will remain a threat to the people unless drastic measures are taken,” advocating for the dismissal of the bureau’s top echelons.

Under his leadership, scenes of upheaval have unfolded: Experienced agents have been forced out, others have been demoted or placed on seemingly arbitrary leave, and employees are now subjected to polygraph tests in a bid to curb leaks to the press.

The undercurrent of fear within the FBI has been palpable. Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino — who was banned from YouTube for promoting misinformation — have enacted controversial changes, including re-staffing senior positions and shifting the agency’s focus towards immigration. As opposed to, you know, going after government corruption at a time of, let’s say, high levels of that.

Their insistence that previous directors “politicized the bureau” has raised alarms among current employees, who see a case of the pot calling the kettle politicized.

Many agents ow wonder if their past work, particularly on investigations criticized by Trump supporters, might place them at risk of termination. This purge (and that’s a word Stalin loved) has effectively obliterated hard-won experience in national security and criminal investigations, leaving doubts about the agency's preparedness to handle critical tasks.

The reforms include revisiting past investigations that have provoked ire among conservatives, such as the 2022 Supreme Court leak about the abortion ruling and explosives found near the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The elite federal public corruption squad within the Washington field office, known for investigating Trump’s election interference in 2020, has been dismantled. Former FBI agents interpret this move as a signal that investigations involving Trump's affairs may be intentionally sidelined — like the investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth leaking war plans on Signal.

As part of the widespread changes, leaders within the bureau find themselves reassigned or facing abrupt retirement. Administrators have dismantled processes standardized over decades, a move that critics describe as retributive.

Patel’s use of polygraphs to suppress leaks is atypical for the agency, which traditionally reserves such measures for critical security issues rather than internal disagreements. Jim Stern, a former agent familiar with polygraph procedures, told the Times; “I never used them to suss out gossip.”

Efforts to reshape the bureau, according to Bongino, are part of a “big, bold” initiative to realign the FBI. I’d say they’re politicizing it more than anyone has ever done in the history of the organization, including when J Edgar Hoover kept a blacklist of enemies.

But what do I know? I loved the X-FIles. Also we all know polygraphs don’t work. Right, Brody?

Say, is there a story that might cheer me up a bit?

Yes. Lift some weights, says this lady. I did it yesterday. I needed a lie down after.

Matt Davis lives in Manhattan with his wife and kid.

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