Kash Patel, a former Pentagon aide in the Trump administration, sued The Atlantic for $250 million over a story that said he drank excessively and missed work in ways that jeopardized his job. The complaint accuses The Atlantic of publishing false, defamatory statements that damaged Patel's reputation and seeks $250 million in damages. The Atlantic responded, "We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit." The suit could force discovery into Patel's attendance records, internal communications, and the article's sourcing, and it arrives amid other recent defamation suits by former Trump officials.