On September 26, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation made headlines after firing approximately 15 to 20 agents who had been photographed kneeling during a racial justice protest in Washington, D.C., following the death of George Floyd in May 2020. The move, which several sources described as part of a broader personnel purge, has ignited fierce debate both within and outside the Bureau about the intersection of law enforcement, protest, and politics in America.
The firings, first reported by The Associated Press and subsequently corroborated by outlets such as BBC, Fox News, CNN, NBC News, and Reuters, targeted agents who had participated in a now-infamous moment during the summer of 2020. As protests over Floyd’s killing swept the nation, a group of FBI agents found themselves in a tense standoff with demonstrators outside the Bureau’s headquarters. In a split-second decision, some of the agents knelt—mirroring the gesture that had become a symbol of dissent against racism and police brutality, and which was notably used by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick years before Floyd’s death.
At the time, the kneeling was interpreted in different ways. Some inside the FBI and in conservative media saw it as a sign of political bias—a capitulation to protester demands or an endorsement of the Black Lives Matter movement. Others, including the agents themselves and several current and former Bureau officials, argued it was a de-escalation tactic meant to diffuse a potentially volatile confrontation. As one former agent told Reuters, “This wasn’t politics — it was survival.” According to CNN, the tactic worked: protesters moved on, and no violence erupted.
The incident did not immediately result in disciplinary action. In fact, an initial review by FBI leadership under then-Director Christopher Wray found no violation of Bureau policy, given the context and the extraordinary circumstances. However, as the political landscape shifted with President Donald Trump’s second term, the case was quietly reassessed. Earlier in 2025, agents involved in the kneeling were reassigned—often to less coveted positions, which many inside the agency saw as demotions. The reasons for these reassignments were not publicly explained.
On September 26, the firings became official. The termination letters, according to CBS News (as reported by BBC), cited a “lack of judgment” on the part of the agents. The number of agents terminated ranged from at least 15 (per NBC News and CNN) to nearly two dozen (according to AP and Fox News), with most sources converging on a figure between 15 and 20. Notably, some agents present at the protest who did not kneel were not fired, a detail that underscores the specific focus on the act itself.
The response from the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) was swift and unequivocal. In a statement reported by multiple outlets, the association condemned the firings as “unlawful” and a violation of both due process and civil service protections. “Leaders uphold the law — they don’t repeatedly break it. They respect due process, rather than hide from it,” the FBIAA declared, warning that the dismissals “eliminate valuable expertise and damage trust between leadership and the workforce, and make it harder to recruit and retain skilled agents — ultimately putting our nation at greater risk.” The group also called for a Congressional investigation into what it described as a dangerous precedent.
The firings are widely seen as part of a broader campaign by FBI Director Kash Patel, who assumed leadership during Trump’s second term, to reshape the Bureau’s culture. Patel, whose tenure has been marked by a series of high-profile dismissals—including five senior agents and top-level executives just a month prior—has been accused by critics of orchestrating a political purge. According to BBC and CNN, this effort aligns with the Trump administration’s stated goal of removing so-called “woke” or politicized elements from the federal government.
The political undertones of the firings are hard to ignore. Several of the recently dismissed agents had been involved in investigations related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot or cases involving former President Trump and his allies. According to AP and NBC News, a lawsuit filed by former acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll, former assistant director Steven Jensen, and former special agent Spencer Evans alleges that Patel was aware firing agents based on their casework was “likely illegal” but felt compelled to act due to pressure from the White House and Justice Department. Patel, for his part, has denied taking orders from the administration, telling Congress that “anyone who has been fired failed to meet the FBI’s standards.”
Public reaction has split along familiar lines. Right-wing commentators and some retired agents have long criticized the kneeling as inappropriate for federal law enforcement officers, arguing it signaled partisanship and undermined the Bureau’s neutrality. Supporters of the agents, however, insist the gesture was pragmatic—a means of avoiding escalation and violence in a fraught moment. As Fox News reported, critics inside and outside the Bureau have characterized the firings as political retribution, rather than a legitimate enforcement of agency standards.
Meanwhile, the firings have contributed to what current and former officials describe as declining morale within the Bureau. The FBIAA and others warn that the loss of experienced agents—many of whom are military veterans and specialists—will have a lasting impact on the FBI’s ability to fulfill its mission. The association’s statement to CNN summed up the stakes: “Patel’s dangerous new pattern of actions are weakening the Bureau because they eliminate valuable expertise and damage trust between leadership and the workforce.”
For the agents themselves, the consequences are deeply personal. Many had already been reassigned to lower-profile duties in the years since the protest, and now face the abrupt end of their careers. The kneeling, as described by those involved, was never intended as a political statement. Instead, it was a split-second decision made in the heat of a historic moment—a gesture that, five years later, has become a flashpoint in the ongoing struggle over the role of law enforcement, protest, and politics in American life.
As the FBI faces continued scrutiny from lawmakers, the public, and its own workforce, the fallout from these firings will likely reverberate for years to come. The debate over what it means to serve, to protest, and to lead in times of crisis remains as urgent as ever.
