FBI chief reverses course after saying White House budget proposal too low

FBI Director Kash Patel testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on President Trump’s proposed budget request for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 8, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -FBI Director Kash Patel told a U.S. Senate panel on Thursday that he supports a White House proposal to cut the bureau's budget, a day after telling lawmakers he had wanted $1 billion more than the administration had requested.

Patel's Wednesday testimony to a House of Representatives panel had exposed a rare break with President Donald Trump's administration, which has pushed to slash spending across the federal government. Disagreements between agencies and the White House over funding requests to Congress are rarely made public.