Kash Patel holds pageant-like competition to find the 'fittest' FBI agent in the nation

By ELINA SHIRAZI, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 20:47, 23 May 2026 | Updated: 20:55, 23 May 2026 Kash Patel's FBI is officially on the hunt for the bureau's ultimate physical specimens. The federal law enforcement agency is launching a brand-new, high-stakes competition designed to crown the single fittest male and female agents in the country, Politico first reported. The grueling two-day showdown is scheduled for early July at the Quantico Training Academy in Virginia. An FBI spokesperson confirmed the blockbuster summer event, explaining that all 56 field offices across the nation are being actively encouraged to put forward their absolute best. Each office will nominate one male and one female agent to represent them on the national stage. To secure a ticket to the main event, hopefuls must first prove their worth at home by surviving a punishing mix of physical and mental drills in their local offices. The bureau is framing the intense, multi-day competition as a unique way to foster camaraderie while keeping elite agents in peak physical condition. 'Personal fitness is key for FBI employees, and this initiative provides a new and creative team-building experience at the FBI's Training Academy,' an FBI spokesperson said in a statement to the Daily Mail. The grueling two-day showdown is scheduled for early July at the Quantico Training Academy in Virginia  Kash Patel's FBI is officially on the hunt for the bureau's ultimate physical specimens The federal law enforcement agency is launching a brand-new, high-stakes competition designed to crown the single fittest male and female agents in the country, Politico first reported Patel has vehemently denied all of these allegations and has since filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic The bureau is framing the intense, multi-day competition as a unique way to foster camaraderie while keeping elite agents in peak physical condition I'm Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent, and I've spent years tracking the dealmakers and power players who shape Washington.  This week, one of Trump's billionaire Cabinet stars is facing fresh scrutiny over past links to Jeffrey Epstein, and our new poll reveals America's verdict on whether he should keep his job. Sign up for our free weekly DC Insider newsletter to get the exclusive results in your inbox. The action-packed competition promises to push the elite nominees to their absolute limits, combining raw physical endurance with sharp mental focus to see who truly has what it takes to be the best of the best. Patel is currently navigating a wave of damaging headlines regarding his drinking habits, sparked by an April Atlantic expose that alleged 'excessive drinking and unexplained absences.'  The report claimed that Patel's late-night partying frequently forced aides to reschedule morning meetings, and it even alleged that his security detail once had to request breaching equipment after failing to wake him from behind a locked door. Compounding the controversy, a viral video from February captured Patel chugging a beer with the US men's Olympic hockey team in Milan - an incident that NBC News reported left President Trump personally displeased with the locker-room antics. Patel has vehemently denied all of these allegations and has since filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic. Trump has made fitness a cornerstone of his agenda in the schools.  At an Oval Office event earlier this month touting the new Presidential Fitness Test Award, which offers students a performance-based fitness prize, Trump remarked on his own exercise. Patel  runs the 'Yellow Brick Road' training course at the FBI academy President Donald Trump joked that he works out one minute a day max during a White House event on the Presidential Fitness Test Award on Tuesday  'I work out so much. Like, about one minute a day, max. If I'm lucky,' the President joked as some Cabinet members and students stood behind him. The President signed an order to reestablish the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition as well as the Presidential Fitness Test last year. The action on Tuesday paves the way for all US schools to begin awarding the new prize to students. The national fitness exam began in the late 1950s until 2013, when President Obama replaced the test with another exam. The test involves running or walking one mile, as many sit-ups as possible in 60 seconds, push-ups or pull-ups to failure, a shuttle run, and stretching. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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