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Evening Brief: Patel Testifies, US Observes Russia – Belarus War Games, Trump Keeps TikTok in US

BY Guy D. McCardle

From Capitol Hill’s grilling of FBI Director Kash Patel over Charlie Kirk’s assassination, to U.S. officers quietly observing Russia-Belarus war games, and Donald Trump’s reversal on TikTok, the week showed Washington balancing political firestorms, military brinkmanship, and digital-age dealmaking all at once. Here is your Tuesday evening SOFREP News Brief for September 16th, 2025.

Both Russian and Belarusian flags fly over a training area for Zapad-2025. Image Credit: Ramil Sitdikkov / Reuters

FBI Director Kash Patel Faces the Heat Over Charlie Kirk Assassination Case

FBI Director Kash Patel spent time in the hot seat today before the Senate Judiciary Committee, defending his handling of the investigation into the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The hearings highlighted both Patel’s unapologetic defense of his approach and the mounting political scrutiny surrounding his tenure.

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At the heart of the clash was Patel’s early social media statement claiming that “the subject” was already in custody. That wasn’t accurate. The individual initially detained was later released, while the actual suspect, Tyler Robinson, wasn’t turned over by his father until roughly 33 hours after Kirk was gunned down. Democrats pounced on the misstep, calling it sloppy communication that sowed public confusion.

Patel countered that his intent was transparency, insisting that releasing photos and videos against the advice of law enforcement partners directly aided in Robinson’s capture. “We engaged the public to solve this case,” he told senators, framing the move as decisive leadership in a fast-moving situation.

The FBI investigation itself is sprawling. Patel confirmed that agents are interrogating more than 20 people tied to a Discord chatroom where Robinson may have posted a confession before surrendering. The bureau, he said, is “running them all down” to determine whether anyone else was complicit.

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But Patel’s testimony wasn’t just about the Kirk case. It opened the door to simmering questions over his leadership of an FBI beset by internal firings and allegations of political retaliation. Democratic senators pressed him hard on whether his management has destabilized the bureau. Patel brushed off the attacks, pointing instead to the speed of the Kirk investigation as an indicator of success. 

President Donald Trump has publicly backed Patel, praising both his performance in this case and his broader leadership of the FBI. That endorsement gave Patel a shield of political cover, though it also underscored how tightly his fate is linked to the administration’s support.

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Gun violence policy surfaced briefly, with senators probing Patel on potential reforms. He expressed openness to working with Congress on prevention strategies but steered clear of endorsing controversial measures like an assault weapons ban.

In the end, Patel emerged from the hearings a bit bruised but unbowed. The Kirk case may have been solved quickly, but the questions about Patel’s judgment, candor, and grip on the bureau are only intensifying.

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U.S. Military Observers Attend Russia-Belarus “Zapad-2025” War Games

For the first time since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, American military officers were on the ground watching Russia and Belarus run their biennial “Zapad” war games. The move is striking given the backdrop: NATO’s frontline posture, Eastern Europe on edge, and Washington’s renewed flirtation with diplomatic engagement in Minsk.

Two U.S. officers were seen at training grounds in Belarus as Zapad-2025 got underway. Their presence alone was newsworthy, but the reception they received was more surprising. Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin personally welcomed the American observers, promising “nothing will be concealed” and inviting them to interact with Belarusian troops.

The script Belarus presented was carefully curated. Exercise scenarios highlighted a defensive Belarus, supposedly fending off invaders while counting on reinforcements from a larger ally—Russia. By offering transparency, Minsk was selling itself as a regional stabilizer, even as its military remains fused to Moscow’s.

From Washington’s perspective, the decision to accept the observer invitation marks a notable diplomatic signal. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has been working to thaw ties with the Trump administration. His government has pushed for the reopening of the U.S. embassy in Minsk, restoration of economic channels, and dialogue that could help create off-ramps in the Ukraine war. Trump confidant John Coale recently traveled to Minsk carrying a personal letter from the president, further underscoring the White House’s willingness to test rapprochement.

The Americans weren’t alone. Observers from roughly 23 nations, including NATO members Turkey and Hungary, also attended Zapad-2025. This multinational turnout gave Belarus a chance to highlight transparency, in stark contrast to Moscow’s antagonistic framing of NATO as an enemy already at war with Russia because of Western arms flowing into Ukraine.

Still, Zapad remains what it has always been: a showcase for Russian-Belarusian military integration. The drills simulate war against NATO, reaffirming Moscow’s narrative that its western borders are under constant threat. No amount of staged openness changes that core purpose.

For the U.S., showing up in Belarus was about more than military optics. It was a calculated signal that Washington is willing to talk even while preparing for confrontation. Zapad-2025 illustrated that in today’s Eastern Europe, diplomacy and deterrence aren’t separate tracks—they’re running on the same rail line, side by side.

Trump’s About-Face on TikTok: From Threat to Lifeline

Donald Trump’s relationship with TikTok has been anything but straightforward. In fact, it’s been a political whiplash tour—starting with a near-ban and ending with Trump himself keeping the app alive in the United States.

Back in 2020, during his first term, Trump cast TikTok as a glaring national security risk. Its parent company, ByteDance, was Chinese-owned, and Trump warned that user data could be siphoned straight into Beijing’s intelligence files. He signed executive orders aiming to force a divestment or outright ban. Courts tied up enforcement, but the message was clear: TikTok’s days in America were numbered.

Fast-forward to late 2024, and the landscape had shifted. Trump, now back in the White House, found himself benefiting politically from the very platform he once sought to ban. His campaign’s content racked up billions of views on TikTok, energizing younger voters in a way traditional outlets never could. He admitted as much, even joking about having a “warm spot” for the app despite his earlier hard line.

That personal political calculus translated into policy. Instead of pulling the plug, Trump’s administration extended deadline after deadline in 2025, buying time for negotiations. Behind the scenes, Trump was personally steering talks with Chinese counterparts, ensuring that TikTok’s fate wasn’t left to bureaucrats or the courts.

The result came in September 2025 with a framework agreement: TikTok’s U.S. operations would shift under American control. Oracle—whose chairman Larry Ellison is both a Trump ally and a powerful tech player—was tapped to oversee domestic data storage and server management. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was blunt: without Trump’s direct involvement, the deal likely never would have materialized. Trump himself confirmed he gave explicit directives that were communicated to Beijing, and he signaled a willingness to finalize details in upcoming talks with Xi Jinping.

What makes Trump’s TikTok about-face so striking is the balancing act. On one side, he maintained the narrative of defending U.S. national security and ensuring Chinese influence was boxed out. On the other, he openly embraced TikTok’s role in amplifying his political message, recognizing its grip on American culture and its importance to his reelection efforts.

In the end, Trump can claim credit for both launching the crackdown on TikTok and saving it from extinction. That’s not a contradiction—it’s Trumpian politics at its core: wielding pressure, cutting a deal, and making sure the spotlight stays fixed firmly on him.

 

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