The FBI reassigned several agents who were photographed kneeling alongside protesters during the 2020 George Floyd protests. This action, viewed as a demotion by many within the FBI, occurred nearly five years after the incident. The FBI declined to comment, citing personnel policy.
The reassignments are seen as part of a broader effort by new FBI leadership to address what President Trump termed “woke” and politicized elements within the agency. A former FBI official expressed concern that the bureau bypassed its regular disciplinary process.
The agents were deployed to protect federal buildings during protests, a task for which they lacked training. To de-escalate a tense situation, some agents knelt, mirroring a similar tactic used by the National Guard. This action, while successful in diffusing the situation, later triggered a furious internal reaction within the FBI.
The incident’s handling is intertwined with the broader political climate, with Republicans citing it in their conflicts with the bureau’s former leadership. The incident is part of a wider review of over 1500 agents’ conduct under the Trump administration.
Though initially, FBI leadership determined no policy violation occurred, the reassignments raise questions about fairness and the politicization of the disciplinary process. The agents’ actions were viewed by some as a non-political attempt to de-escalate a potentially violent confrontation.