Kash Patel Olympics Controversy: FBI Director's Team USA Locker Room Celebration Ignites Firestorm
FBI Director Kash Patel touched off a wave of criticism Monday after videos from inside Team USA's men's hockey locker room showed him drinking beer, singing, and celebrating alongside players following the United States' historic 2-1 overtime gold medal victory over Canada at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. The moment instantly went viral — and the backlash has not slowed down.
What Kash Patel Did at the 2026 Olympics
Patel, a lifelong hockey fan who plays the sport recreationally, was in Milan for the final days of the 2026 Olympics held in Italy. After Team USA secured its first men's hockey gold medal in 46 years — since the legendary 1980 "Miracle on Ice" — Patel made his way into the locker room. Videos circulating on social media captured him guzzling beer from a bottle and spraying it around the room. Forward Matthew Tkachuk draped his gold medal around Patel's neck, and the group belted out Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" in a chest-thumping celebration.
Patel also held his phone up on speaker so players could hear a congratulatory call from President Donald Trump. Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed the call took place.
Kash Patel's Defense of His Olympics Trip
The FBI pushed back almost immediately on characterizations of the Italy visit as a personal junket, with FBI spokesman Ben Williamson stating the trip was planned months in advance and included an extensive official schedule:
| Official Activity | Details |
|---|---|
| Milan Joint Operations Center | Briefing on Olympic security posture |
| Italian Law Enforcement Meetings | Partner coordination, invited in July 2025 |
| U.S. Ambassador Meeting | Follow-up to January law enforcement roundtable |
| Legat Staff Briefings | FBI field office coordination |
Patel himself addressed critics directly: "For the very concerned media – yes, I love America and was extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys." He also noted that nearly 100 U.S. government personnel had been deployed to support Olympic security, with lessons to be applied toward the FIFA World Cup later this summer.
Why Critics Are Furious With Kash Patel at the Olympics
The backlash against Kash Patel's Olympics presence is fueled by several overlapping concerns. Critics on social media and within law enforcement circles pointed to a series of serious, unresolved matters demanding FBI attention at the very moment Patel was celebrating in the locker room:
- Mar-a-Lago security incident — While Patel was in Milan, the U.S. Secret Service shot and killed an armed man who drove into President Trump's Florida resort. Patel posted on X that the FBI was "dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation" — around the time the hockey game was headed to overtime.
- Nancy Guthrie missing persons case — The 84-year-old mother of NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie has been missing from her Arizona home for more than three weeks, with investigators making no publicly reported progress.
- Mexico cartel violence — The U.S. Embassy issued shelter-in-place warnings to American citizens in Mexico after the killing of a top cartel leader.
Former FBI Special Agent Michael Feinberg was among the prominent critics, writing that "one of the first things we were taught at Quantico was that there is never a moment in which you are not representing the Bureau."
Government Jet Question Adds Fuel to the Fire
The controversy deepened over questions about how Patel traveled to Italy. The FBI confirmed the trip used official resources but insisted it was not personal. Critics noted the irony that Patel himself had publicly criticized then-FBI Director Christopher Wray in 2023 for allegedly using a government jet for personal travel. Eight former FBI and Justice Department officials sent a copy of the locker room video to media outlets, saying it was generating significant backlash within bureau circles.
Right vs. Left React to Kash Patel at the 2026 Olympics
The political divide over Patel's Olympics appearance was sharp and immediate. Fox News host Will Cain dismissed the criticism, saying every proud American was smiling watching the video. Critics from the left, including former DOJ officials and Democratic lawmakers, argued the scenes reflected poor judgment and a misuse of taxpayer-funded travel at a time of active national security concerns.
Patel, 45, has faced prior scrutiny over FBI jet usage — including a previous report that he used agency aircraft to attend a wrestling event where his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, was performing. The Kash Patel Olympics controversy appears set to intensify as Congress returns to session this week.
