Country singer Alexis Wilkins forcefully defends FBI chief as critics question viral locker room celebration. Kash Patel’s girlfriend is forcefully pushing back against what she calls “fake news” after a viral Olympic locker room celebration ignited a media storm. The widely circulated video after the USA men’s hockey team’s historic win triggered claims that Kash Patel was “partying” at taxpayers’ expense, even as the FBI maintained that his travel to Europe for the Games was tied to official responsibilities.
Country singer Alexis Wilkins spoke out after footage surfaced showing the FBI director celebrating with Team USA following their gold medal victory, including a widely shared moment involving a beer. Critics questioned the optics of the celebration, but Wilkins made clear she believes the backlash is overblown and politically motivated. “I think people run things in the media in order to cause an outrage and I’ve never seen so many conservatives fall victim to the fake news,” the aspiring country music star said on Wednesday’s episode of her Rumble show, Between the Headlines.
Democrats can’t possibly become any more triggered, unhinged, and anti-American than they already are…
FBI Director Kash Patel: Hold my beer! pic.twitter.com/UmYmZDiBZ9
— Jay Gatling (@apinionsvary) February 23, 2026
Wilkins defended both her boyfriend and the bureau, reinforcing their position that the European trip was official business. She emphasized that the FBI has historically played a security role at the Olympic Games. “What I will say is the Bureau has long-been in charge of providing security for the Olympics and that’s what was happening,” she said.
Backing Patel further, Alexis Wilkins noted that he did not insert himself into the celebration but joined the locker room festivities at the invitation of the gold medalists themselves. Kash Patel, an amateur hockey player and longtime fan of the sport, had traveled to Europe earlier in the week aboard a government jet — a trip estimated to cost taxpayers as much as $75,000.
A source familiar with the director’s responsibilities told the Daily Mail that the bureau’s involvement extends far beyond a single Olympic appearance. The FBI, the source said, “will be in charge of security completely for FIFA [World Cup] and the 2028 American Olympics.” The source added pointedly, “So if you don’t like to get blown up at major events, be grateful he is putting in this work now.”
Shortly after the United States defeated Canada to clinch gold, video shared widely on social media by outlets including ProPublica and The Washington Post appeared to show Patel drinking from and spraying a beer bottle as the team celebrated. In the footage, he can be seen banging on a table as players cheered, before a gold medal was placed around his neck amid the jubilant scene.
Liberals: The "I can't believe Kash Patel is drinking a beer" starter pack
Well! You don’t say! 🤣👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/Zdnt6PAIrv
— Toni (@ToniLL22) February 23, 2026
Supporters argue the images reflect the kind of exuberance typical of championship locker rooms rather than misconduct. Kash Patel later arranged a phone call between the team and President Donald Trump, during which the president congratulated the players and invited them to attend the State of the Union address.
Patel himself addressed the celebration, saying he was “extremely humbled” to be welcomed into the locker room after the victory. He stressed that the moment was about honoring American achievement on a global stage.
“It was about celebrating the greatest country on earth and the greatest sport on earth,” Kash Patel said, underscoring that his presence was at the athletes’ request.
Wilkins has framed the backlash as a manufactured controversy. In her view, media outlets seized on a celebratory clip while overlooking the broader context of the FBI’s security mission and Kash Patel’s official role abroad. She accused critics of distorting a patriotic moment into political theater.
The episode briefly shifted public focus from Patel’s reform agenda at the FBI to the viral images from Milan. Since taking office, Patel has pledged sweeping changes aimed at restoring what he describes as accountability and depoliticization within federal law enforcement.
Despite the uproar, Patel has continued his duties without indication that the controversy will alter his approach. Supporters maintain that no rules were broken and no security protocols compromised — only a celebratory scene following a major American victory.
For critics, the optics raised questions.
For Wilkins, the answer was direct.
“Fake news,” she said, reiterating her belief that the narrative about Kash Patel drinking beer in the Team USA Hockey locker room has been deliberately inflated.
As the debate continues, the central images remain those of American athletes celebrating gold — and a federal official joining them at their invitation. Whether seen as controversial or patriotic, the moment has once again placed Kash Patel squarely in the national spotlight.
