FBI Firings Target Agents Who Took a Knee During the George Floyd Riots [WATCH]

The FBI has fired a group of agents who were photographed kneeling during a racial justice protest in Washington, D.C., following the 2020 death of George Floyd, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The agents had initially been reassigned last spring but were later terminated, the individuals said.

Happening now: 🚨 FBI Director Kash Patel has just FIRED all 2020 George Floyd riot agents who were pictured kneeling here! pic.twitter.com/oSwLmbsNt9

— MAGA Rapid Response 🇺🇸 (@MAGAresponse) September 27, 2025

The bureau has not disclosed the exact number of employees affected, though two sources indicated that the figure was around 20.

The photographs at the center of the dismissals showed FBI personnel kneeling in apparent solidarity during one of the demonstrations that erupted nationwide after Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody on May 25, 2020.

Floyd’s death, which was captured on video and widely circulated, sparked nationwide protests and debates over policing and racial justice.

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The decision comes as FBI Director Kash Patel continues what has been described as a broader personnel overhaul inside the bureau.

Several high-level officials and rank-and-file agents have been dismissed in recent months as Patel seeks to reshape the agency.

Last month, at least five agents and senior executives were removed in a wave of firings that current and former officials said has negatively affected morale within the bureau.

Among those dismissed was Steve Jensen, who had helped oversee investigations into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Another was Brian Driscoll, who briefly served as acting FBI director in the early days of President Trump’s first term and had resisted Justice Department requests to disclose the names of agents tied to the Capitol riot probe.

Chris Meyer, another official dismissed, was the subject of social media speculation linking him to the investigation into President Trump’s handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

The rumors were inaccurate, but Meyer was among those terminated nonetheless.

Walter Giardina, who played a role in high-profile cases including the investigation into Trump adviser Peter Navarro, was also removed.

In addition, Spencer Evans, another supervisor who lost his job, joined Jensen and Driscoll in filing a lawsuit challenging the dismissals.

The suit alleged that Patel had acknowledged privately that terminating agents based on the cases they handled was “likely illegal,” but that he was unable to prevent it because the White House and the Justice Department were determined to oust personnel who had investigated Trump.

Patel addressed the claims directly at a congressional hearing last week, denying that he received instructions from the White House on personnel decisions.

He testified that every agent who has been dismissed failed to meet the FBI’s internal standards, adding that the changes were necessary to maintain accountability within the bureau.

The lawsuit remains ongoing, and questions about the scope of Patel’s restructuring effort, as well as its impact on FBI operations and employee morale, continue to circulate both inside and outside the agency.

The firings of the agents photographed kneeling mark one of the more visible flashpoints in the bureau’s internal overhaul, linking back to the unrest of 2020 and raising further questions about how past conduct by federal law enforcement personnel is being judged under the current leadership.