Kash Patel Olympics: kash patel olympics trip defended after locker-room celebration
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. The kash patel olympics appearance came as the FBI worked on several high-profile matters and as public flight data showed he traveled to Italy on a government plane.
Kash Patel Olympics locker room
Videos circulated online showed Patel drinking a beer from a bottle, spraying some around the locker room and cheering with players on Sunday after the American men's hockey team beat Canada in Milan to win gold — the first Olympic gold medal in the sport since 1980. A player draped his gold medal around Patel's neck and Patel joined the players as they jumped up and down in celebration.
Patel's social posts and quotes
Patel 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; U. S. Secret Service agents fatally shot the alleged intruder. He also told what he called "very concerned media" he was "extremely humbled" to be with the men's team after their victory over Canada in Milan.
On Sunday Patel wrote on social 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- Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth. " He posted the comments on his personal X account after the celebrations.
Flight data and travel
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 that the agency had a major role in Olympic security; Patel was meeting Italian law enforcement officials and the US ambassador to Italy.
Investigations and security work
Patel's trip came during a busy time for the US Department of Justice, under which the FBI is the main investigative agency. 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. 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.
Criticism, defense and backing
For some supporters the visit was a patriotic show of support for the team; for critics it was another instance of questionable use of government resources by an FBI director already facing scrutiny over personal travel. Colorado Democrat Congressman Jason Crow posted on X that "The grift & corruption is unreal" and "Your taxpayer dollars funding the FBI Director's Italian vacation. " Former justice department spokeswoman under President Biden Xochitl Hinojosa posted on X that "our FBI Director thinks he's a frat bro. "
The White House signaled its backing for Patel. Communications director Steven Cheung wrote on X that "Kash was also in Italy meeting with regional partners and security teams" and told a reporter "don't be mad because America won. " An FBI spokesman had said in the days leading up to the game that Patel's trip to Milan during the Olympics was primarily for professional purposes, and Patel had posted work-related photographs of meetings with European security officials.
Questions about government jets
The episode deepened questions about Patel's personal travels, a persistent storyline from the first year of his tenure. The FBI has struggled to shake questions about Patel's travels on the government Gulfstream G550 for flights around the country that have no known or apparent law enforcement purpose. Last November he reportedly used the FBI's plane to fly to Pennsylvania to see his country music star girlfriend Alexis Wilkins perform.
Another example in earlier coverage said that in October Patel traveled to State College, Pennsylvania, for a pro wrestling event, where his longtime girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, had performed the national anthem; photos posted to social media by Wilkins show the couple side-by-side and smiling for the camera and her holding an oversized golden championship belt. 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 has previously come under scrutiny for his use of FBI jets and once criticised his predecessor as FBI Director, Christopher Wray, for using the agency's jet for personal travel; other coverage refers to that predecessor as Chris Wray. An incomplete line in one source ends mid-sentence and is unclear in the provided context.
All quotes, times and travel details above are drawn from statements and public records cited in recent coverage; where a detail is unclear in the provided context, that uncertainty is noted.
Closing: The locker-room footage and Patel's public defense have renewed scrutiny of his travels and use of government resources while the FBI continues its work on multiple investigations and security responsibilities.
