F.B.I. Director Kash Patel Celebrates with U.S. Hockey Team as Trip Draws Scrutiny
kash patel has defended his trip to the Winter Olympics in Italy after footage of him celebrating with the U. S. men's hockey team prompted online criticism, and the visit has raised fresh questions because it occurred amid active national-security and travel controversies.
Kash Patel’s Olympic visit and locker room footage
The F. B. I. director defended being at the Winter Olympics in Italy after footage emerged showing him drinking a beer and cheering with players in a locker room on Sunday following the U. S. men's victory over Canada in Milan. In a post on social media, he told "very concerned media" he was "extremely humbled" to be with the men's team after their win and later restated his pride in being invited to celebrate the moment.
Timeline: posts and events during the trip
Shortly before the locker-room celebration, Patel posted on social media that the F. B. I. 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 also posted 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. "
Travel and official explanations
Public flight data showed Patel took a government plane last Thursday from Joint Base Andrews near Washington DC to a U. S. Air Force base in Italy. The F. B. I. denied last week that the trip was a personal vacation, saying the visit had been planned months ago. The agency also stated it had a major role in Olympic security and that Patel was meeting Italian law enforcement officials and the U. S. ambassador to Italy.
Security workload during the trip
The visit occurred while the U. S. Department of Justice was described as busy, with the F. B. I. as its main investigative agency. At the same time, the U. S. 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 F. B. I. is also helping in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of television anchor Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing for more than three weeks.
Political backlash and prior scrutiny over travel
Patel's Olympic appearance quickly drew political criticism. Congressman Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat, called the trip "grift and corruption" and posted that "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. "
History of scrutiny over use of F. B. I. aircraft
Patel has previously come under scrutiny for his use of F. B. I. jets. Last November, he was said to have used the F. B. I. 's plane to fly to Pennsylvania to see his country music star girlfriend Alexis Wilkins perform. Congressional Democrats said in December they were investigating reports that Patel flew on an F. B. I. jet to a hunting resort in Texas and to a golfing trip in Scotland. Patel has in the past criticized his predecessor, Christopher Wray, for using the agency's jet for personal travel.
What remains unresolved
The sequence of posts, public flight records and the agency's explanation are all part of the record of the trip. Questions about optics and official travel practices have resurfaced, and the political response and prior inquiries into Patel's use of government aircraft are part of the unfolding narrative. Recent updates indicate these matters are under scrutiny and details may evolve.
