FBI Director Kash Patel ordered polygraph tests for more than two dozen staffers after unfavorable articles about his drinking and erratic behavior appeared in major outlets including The Atlantic. The polygraphs target current and former security personnel plus IT staff as Patel's office investigates the leak sources. This is verified by multiple outlets, though the framing as a 'full meltdown' and 'panic mode' reflects editorializing — the documented facts are that Patel responded to criticism with an internal investigation, which is a real development but characterized more dramatically than the underlying action warrants.