A former FBI agent recently issued an op-ed in the New York Times, published on Monday, where she focused on how FBI Director Kash Patel might be inviting a situation like the 9/11 Attacks once again. Jacqueline Maguire was a special agent for the FBI from 2000 to 2025, with experience in counterterrorism, and now believes the FBI is facing a massive distraction due to personal agendas.
I Was an F.B.I. Agent for 25 Years. Kash Patel Is Playing a Dangerous Game.
by Jacqueline Maguirehttps://t.co/yC9DppwCWS
— Jeff Franzius (@jk55044) March 16, 2026
In her op-ed, Maguire shared that she was pushed out, along with many other senior executives. She warned that Kash Patel, as the current FBI director, is not doing what she would describe as protecting Americans from real threats, especially against Iranian attacks on U.S. soil.
Maguire wrote,
“The bureau remains strong, thanks to the talented and dedicated men and women serving in it, but the ousters of dozens of experienced people since President Trump took office — some of whom handled threats from Iran — demonstrate a dangerous fact about the current leadership.”
Maguire argued that Kash Patel is driven by a political revenge agenda and conspiracy theories, distracting the FBI from terrorism, once again. In her op-ed, she shared how the FBI neglected the terrorism arena before the Sept. 11 attacks shook the country. However, after Al-Qaeda’s attack, the FBI leadership drastically changed, thus making counterterrorism a priority.
“Kash Patel is consumed by politically motivated revenge and conspiracy theories, distracting the FBI, once again, from the danger of terrorism. The spreading war with Iran significantly elevates the regime’s threat to Americans at home and abroad, meaning that the FBI must return its focus to its core work: protecting Americans from terrorists and cyberattacks and halting foreign intelligence operations and espionage,” she wrote.
Former FBI agent Jacqueline Maguire:
“Kash Patel is consumed by politically motivated revenge and conspiracy theories, distracting the FBI, once again, from the danger of terrorism. The spreading war with Iran significantly elevates the regime’s threat to Americans at home and… pic.twitter.com/vInjUtdTFi
— FactPost (@factpostnews) March 16, 2026
In her op-ed, she accused Iran of supporting Hezbollah when it killed 241 American service members in a truck bombing in Beirut in 1983. In addition, Iran was also behind the 1996 attack in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 U.S. service members.
Maguire shared details of how Iran has been a top player and a “prolific state sponsor of terrorism.” Additionally, Iran has always been a threat, with devious bombing plans, even before the U.S. killed its top leaders.
She maintained that the FBI is losing its focus, which could bring grave consequences to the country. “Let’s hope it doesn’t take another Sept. 11 to snap the FBI’s leadership into action,” she said.
She blasted Kash Patel’s “sophomoric leadership,” worrying that his prolific social media posts, misleading posts on X, and working ideology — deploying FBI agents for patrolling — could be counterproductive. She believes the FBI agents are more suited to tackle terrorism and investigate federal crimes.
In the recent past, Kash Patel has fired several experienced counterintelligence experts, some of whom also specialized in preventing Iranian threats.
