Trump purges FBI: Top officials ousted over Jan. 6 probe

The Trump administration has launched another purge at the FBI, removing three high-ranking law enforcement veterans — former acting director Brian Driscoll, Washington Field Office chief Steven Jensen, and Special Agent Walter Giardina — according to two individuals familiar with the matter, who were quoted by POLITICO.

This marks the latest in a string of dismissals at the FBI during Trump’s second term, many of which have targeted officials involved in the bureau’s extensive investigation into the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

While some agents linked to that probe initially remained in their positions or were promoted, sustained pressure from Trump-aligned activists ultimately led to many being forced out.

One such case is Steven Jensen, who was appointed four months ago by FBI Director Kash Patel to lead the powerful Washington Field Office. His promotion had drawn immediate criticism from Trump’s allies, who saw him as emblematic of the bureau’s aggressive stance on Capitol riot arrests. Patel’s decision to retain and promote Jensen became an early flashpoint between the new administration and its MAGA base.

Jensen had been scheduled to appear at a Thursday press conference alongside U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro but was notably absent. When asked about it, Pirro deflected: “I’m not going to talk about politics today.” He was replaced at the event by Reid Davis, the special agent in charge of criminal matters in Washington.

Brian Driscoll, briefly installed by Trump as acting FBI director in January, had been a source of confusion from the outset, with some officials saying he was intended to serve as deputy director instead. He later ran afoul of senior Justice Department officials for refusing to provide a list of FBI personnel involved in the Jan. 6 probe.

Then–Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove accused Driscoll and others of “insubordination” for not sharing that information with DOJ leadership.

Walter Giardina, also dismissed, had played roles in the Mueller investigation into Trump’s 2016 campaign and in the controversial arrest of former Trump adviser Peter Navarro, who refused to testify before the House committee investigating January 6. Navarro, as well as his lawyers and a federal judge, criticised the nature of the arrest as excessive. Navarro himself labelled Giardina and another arresting agent as “kind Nazis.”

Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, condemned the firings as “disturbing,” calling them “part of a disturbing pattern of retaliation and politicisation at an institution charged with safeguarding national security and the rule of law.”

The FBI Agents Association also voiced alarm, stating that agents were being “summarily fired without due process for doing their jobs investigating potential federal crimes.” The group emphasised that agents do not choose their assignments and act with integrity and within the law. “If these Agents are fired without due process, it makes the American people less safe,” the statement read.

These dismissals come just weeks after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb dismissed a lawsuit from anonymous FBI officials seeking to prevent retaliation for their involvement in Jan. 6 cases. Although Cobb acknowledged the atmosphere of “chaos and fear” around the lawsuit, she found the claim of imminent retaliation too speculative.

She also noted that allegations of an internal FBI “loyalty review” could not be added to the case at the last minute, though she left open the possibility for a revised legal challenge.

By Tamilla Hasanova