President Donald Trump's top law enforcement and intelligence officials were at odds over the handling of the investigation into the assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk, according to The New York Times.
FBI Director Kash Patel and other senior FBI officials expressed concern that Joe Kent, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, had overstepped his authority by accessing FBI files related to the case.
Patel reportedly told the White House that Kent's review risked interfering with the ongoing criminal investigation and the upcoming prosecution of the accused shooter, Tyler Robinson, 22.
Kent's defenders argue that he was simply doing his job by checking whether Robinson acted alone or had ties to a foreign power or extremist group.
But Patel, according to the Times on Tuesday, feared Kent's actions could compromise evidence and provide the defense with material to question the integrity of the investigation.
The internal dispute reached the White House, where Patel, Kent, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard met with top officials including Vice President JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Participants described the meeting as tense but said Patel and Gabbard later released a joint statement pledging unity.
"The FBI and intelligence community under the direction of President Trump will leave no stone unturned in the investigation of the assassination of our friend, Charlie Kirk," they said.
Kirk, 31, founder of Turning Point USA and one of Trump's closest conservative allies, was shot and killed last month during an appearance at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder and plan to seek the death penalty.
At a Senate hearing last month, Patel told lawmakers the FBI is now investigating "more than 20 individuals" connected to an online chat room where Robinson was active before the shooting.
"We're running them all down," Patel said, confirming the number could be "a lot more than 20."
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who has been outspoken about the government's responsibility to protect vulnerable Americans during the shutdown, pressed Patel on whether Robinson acted alone.
Patel replied that the FBI is "investigating and interrogating" several people who may have known about or encouraged the killing.
Kent's push to examine potential foreign or domestic networks behind the assassination, while overlapping with FBI work, reflects broader tensions between Gabbard's intelligence team and law enforcement agencies.
Administration officials told the Times the dispute underscores an ongoing struggle over who controls terrorism-related investigations within the Trump administration.
On Monday, a Utah judge ruled Robinson may appear in court wearing street clothes but must remain restrained for security reasons.
Prosecutors say DNA evidence and text messages link Robinson to the rooftop shooting, which he allegedly described as retaliation for what he called Kirk's "hatred."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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