FBI director Kash Patel has been under media scrutiny ever since reports surfaced in 2025 claiming that he used a $60 million FBI jet for personal travel, including trips to watch his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, perform and a summer golf outing in Scotland.
Patel addressed these rumors on The Katie Miller Podcast, saying that he is legally prohibited from flying commercially and asserted that he pays for personal travel, as do other Cabinet members and agency heads. However, the speculation seems to be far from over.
On Feb 23, photos showed the FBI director celebrating in the locker room with Team USA’s men’s hockey team following their gold medal win at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
President Trump’s top mouthpiece has flipped out over criticism leveled at “Keystone” Kash Patel after the FBI director was busted boozing with a U.S. Olympic team on the taxpayers’ dime. https://t.co/6HvC78P3Ww
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) February 23, 2026
Online clips showed the MAGA member drinking beer and participating in locker-room celebrations on Sunday, despite the FBI’s statement that the trip was official business and “not a personal trip.”
The 2026 Winter Olympic Games are being held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The US men’s hockey team defeated Canada in sudden-death overtime to win gold.
Massachusetts’s Rep. Seth Moulton criticized Patel during a segment on CNN. Host John Berman pointed out how the 45-year-old was enjoying the victory celebrations in Milan. He stated that some people were questioning why the FBI director was even there and asked Moulton for his reaction.
“If Kash Patel loved America, he would uphold the Constitution,” Moulton said. He accused Patel of prioritizing President Donald Trump over the rule of law, adding that Patel “does not love America, he loves Donald Trump.”
Dem lawmaker claims Kash Patel ‘does not love America’ when asked about FBI head cheering Team USA at Olympics https://t.co/9OBTnbwtVV pic.twitter.com/3MNRlzR8u7
— New York Post (@nypost) February 24, 2026
Seth Moulton also said that Kash Patel was using his position for political advantage and criticized his decisions regarding the current political scenario in America. Berman noted that the FBI said Patel was in Europe on official business and attended the game for fun.
In a post on X, Patel stated he was honored to be invited by the gold medalists to join their celebration. He praised the team and referred to the United States as the “greatest country on earth.”
Patel replied to the claims on X, “For the very concerned 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 added.
For the very concerned 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.…
— Kash Patel (@Kash_Patel) February 23, 2026
FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson slammed a CBS report on social media, which claimed that Patel, who loves hockey, left on Feb 20 for Italy to witness the games and have a good time.
Williamson said that the rumor was “designed to mislead,” as he spoke in support of Patel. At the same time, some critics online argued that he should not have attended the game.
Amid a volatile political scenario in the U.S., it has been a busy month for the US Department of Justice, under which the FBI is the primary investigative agency.
The department is assisting in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today co-host, Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing from Arizona since Feb 1.
None of the leads the FBI has gathered so far has been solid. Police have not found a clear motive for her disappearance.
