Kash Patel and kash patel defend Winter Olympics celebration with USA hockey team
FBI Director kash patel has defended his trip to the Winter Olympics in Italy after footage of him celebrating with the USA hockey team drew online criticism. Patel said he was "extremely humbled" to be with the men's team following their victory over Canada in Milan.
Kash Patel defends Olympic celebration
Patel posted on social media telling "very concerned media" he was "extremely humbled" to be with the men's team after their victory over Canada in Milan. He wrote on social media on Sunday: "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- Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth. "
Locker-room footage and public reaction
Footage showed the FBI chief drinking a beer and cheering with the players in a locker room on Sunday. That footage prompted online criticism and public reaction after he was seen celebrating with the team following the win over Canada.
Trip timing and Justice Department workload
Shortly before the celebration, Patel had posted on social media that the FBI was "dedicating all necessary resources" to investigating how an armed man tried to enter President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Secret Service agents fatally shot the alleged intruder. Patel's trip came during a busy time for the US Department of Justice, under which the FBI is the main investigative agency.
Flights and past travel scrutiny
Public flight data showed Patel took a government plane last Thursday from Joint Base Andrews near Washington DC to a US Air Force base in Italy. The FBI last week denied Patel was on a personal trip, saying it was planned months ago and saying the agency had a major role in Olympic security and that Patel was meeting Italian law enforcement officials and the US ambassador to Italy.
Political criticism and quoted reactions
Congressman Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat, described Patel's Olympic trip as "grift and corruption" and posted: "Your taxpayer dollars funding the FBI director's Italian vacation. " Xochitl Hinojosa, a former justice department spokeswoman under President Biden, posted that "our FBI Director thinks he's a frat bro. "
Other investigations and prior incidents
The FBI is also helping in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of anchor Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing for more than three weeks. Patel himself has previously come under scrutiny for his use of FBI jets. Last November, he reportedly used the FBI's plane to fly to Pennsylvania and see his country music star girlfriend Alexis Wilkins perform. Congressional Democrats said in December they were investigating reports that Patel flew on an FBI jet to a hunting resort in Texas and a golfing trip in Scotland. Patel once criticised his predecessor as FBI Director, Christopher Wray, for using the agency's jet for personal travel.
Regional security concerns noted
The US Department of State issued a shelter-in-place warning on Sunday for American citizens in parts of Mexico because of unrest after local authorities killed a drug cartel leader.
Patel continues to defend his presence at the Winter Olympics while those travel details, prior flights and current agency responsibilities remain under public and congressional scrutiny.
