FBI Director Kash Patel revealed during a recent interview with Sean Hannity that federal agents thwarted four terrorist attacks within a four-week holiday window while simultaneously monitoring for potential large-scale strikes modeled after the September 11 attacks.

Patel described an ISIS-inspired case in Michigan where coded language involving “pumpkin” allegedly signaled plans for mass shootings. He also noted threats targeting states including Texas, Florida, and New York.

The director emphasized that terrorist organizations are patient and disciplined, a factor that keeps him awake at night as he works to identify threats. Patel highlighted the FBI’s new artificial intelligence tools designed to speed up tip processing, which reportedly prevented a planned school massacre in North Carolina by enabling rapid response.

In his March 2024 Senate testimony before the Intelligence Committee, Patel detailed how agents stopped four terrorist attacks across California, Texas, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania—three of which were ISIS-inspired. The operations included foiling a New Year’s Eve bombing plot targeting multiple locations in Southern California and an incident in North Carolina where a 18-year-old planned attacks at grocery stores and fast-food restaurants with knives and hammers.

Patel stated that terrorist groups remain patient and disciplined, and a large-scale attack modeled after September 11 continues to be an active threat.