Kash Patel Defends Locker Room Behavior as kash patel Faces Backlash After Milan Visit
FBI director kash patel has pushed back after phone footage emerged of him celebrating with the U. S. men's hockey team in a Milan locker room following their gold-medal victory against Canada at the Winter Olympics. The video and his use of government travel have become focal points at a moment when multiple high-profile investigations are unfolding back in the United States.
Kash Patel in Milan locker room video
Phone footage that circulated on Sunday shows Patel wearing a white USA hockey shirt with a gold medal slung around his neck as members of the men's USA hockey team sang Toby Keith’s "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue. " The clip, which a source sent to reporter William Turton, shows Patel chugging from a bottle and splattering beer spray around the locker room as teammates celebrate their gold medal win over Canada at the Winter Olympics.
Multiple investigations and domestic crises unfolding
Those images arrived while several urgent matters demand attention at home: the shooting death of the armed man who entered Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, a weeks-old search for Nancy Guthrie, who is the mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, and an ongoing furor over the so-called Jeffrey Epstein files. The emergence of the locker-room video has drawn fresh scrutiny against that backdrop.
Travel and official-business claims from Ben Williamson
Patel flew to Milan on a justice department plane on Thursday, and his spokesperson, Ben Williamson, said the trip was official business. After a subsequent report that Patel used an FBI jet to attend the Olympic men's hockey games, Williamson insisted that this was "not a personal trip. Director Patel is on a trip that was planned months ago. " Williamson also said Patel had a number of official meetings scheduled with Italian law enforcement officials and the U. S. ambassador to Italy.
Patel’s response and outside reactions
On Sunday evening, Patel wrote that he was humbled by the invitation and framed his appearance as a moment with friends. He wrote, "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. " He added in a separate line, "Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth. " The remark drew swift criticism: Xochitl Hinojosa, the former head of public affairs at the U. S. Justice Department, wrote, "and our FBI Director thinks he’s a frat bro?!" A former FBI agent turned podcaster, Kyle Seraphin, commented in the thread, "That’s called 'Misuse of Official Position. '"
Recent controversies since taking office
Patel has been dogged by accusations that he mixes work with pleasure since he was sworn in as FBI director in late February 2025. In November, he drew criticism after using an FBI jet to travel to Pennsylvania to watch his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, sing the national anthem at a wrestling match. The Milan footage has reopened questions about his conduct while conducting official travel and attending high-profile events.
