FBI Director Kash Patel publicly rebuked the Pima County Sheriff's Department over its handling of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, saying the agency kept the FBI out of the investigation for four critical days. Speaking on Hang Out with Sean Hannity, Patel agreed with host Sean Hannity's claim that the sheriff's department tried to keep the FBI "out" during the early stages of the case. "What we, the FBI, do is say, 'Hey, we're here to help. What do you need? What can we do?' And for four days, we were kept out of the investigation," Patel said. Patel stressed the importance of the lost time.