Kash Patel defends Winter Olympics celebration with USA hockey team — kash patel responds
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 after their victory over Canada in Milan and pushed back on scrutiny of his travel.
Celebration and footage
Footage showed the FBI chief drinking a beer and cheering with the players in a locker room on Sunday following the men's team victory over Canada in Milan. The video prompted criticism online and raised questions about the timing of Patel's presence at the Olympic venue.
Social media statements and quotes
In a post on X, Patel told "very concerned media" he was "extremely humbled" to be with the men's team after their victory. He had also written 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. "
Shortly before the celebration, Patel had posted on X 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.
Timing amid other national incidents
Patel's trip came during a busy time for the US Department of Justice, under which the FBI is the main investigative agency. 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. The FBI is also helping in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing for more than three weeks.
Flight records and official role
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. it had a major role in Olympic security and that Patel was meeting Italian law enforcement officials and the US ambassador to Italy.
Political reactions and criticism
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 on X that "our FBI Director thinks he's a frat bro. "
Past scrutiny over jet use
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.
FBI Director Kash Patel has defended his presence at the Olympics, stressing his participation in security meetings and celebrating with Team USA; criticism has focused on the optics of the locker-room footage, the timing amid simultaneous domestic incidents, and Patel's past use of agency aircraft.
