FBI Director Kash Patel defended his presence in the U.S. men’s hockey team locker room following their gold medal victory at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
In a post on X Sunday night, Patel addressed criticism surrounding the celebration.
“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,” Patel wrote. “Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth.”
Videos shared with reporters showed Patel inside the locker room after the win over Canada. He appeared to be wearing a gold medal, holding a beer, and singing and dancing with members of the team.
According to Time, Patel’s trip to Milan coincided with several security developments in the U.S. and abroad. On Sunday, law enforcement officers shot and killed an armed man at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, the Secret Service said.
Patel had earlier posted on X about that incident, stating that the FBI was “dedicating all necessary resources” to the investigation. The bureau is expected to play a role in reviewing the events surrounding the intrusion.
At the same time, President Donald Trump was reportedly weighing potential military strikes on Iran.
In Mexico, a military raid killed cartel leader “El Mencho,” an operation that involved U.S. intelligence, prompting the State Department to issue a “shelter in place” alert for U.S. citizens in certain areas.
Time also reported that FBI investigators were searching for Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, during the same weekend. Patel was photographed seated in a box at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the gold medal game.
The trip had previously drawn attention after reports that Patel flew to the Olympics on a Justice Department aircraft.
In response, spokesperson Ben Williamson said on X, “No, it’s not a personal trip. Director Patel is on a trip that was planned months ago,” adding that the itinerary included meetings with Italian law enforcement and oversight of the FBI’s “major role in Olympic security.”
Williamson later posted, “Kash just called me and told me to add ‘Please tell them yes, I am rooting for the greatest team on earth from the greatest country on earth. Go Team USA.’”
In December, congressional Democrats launched a probe into Patel’s use of government aircraft for travel that they described as personal, according to Bloomberg Law. Reports included travel to Pennsylvania to attend a wrestling match where his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, was performing.
Patel responded in a November post on X, writing, “Let me be clear: we will not be distracted by baseless rumors or the noise from uninformed internet anarchists and the fake news. … I and this FBI will stay laser-focused on our mission and continue the reform we promised — rebuilding this Bureau from the ground up.”
Democratic lawmakers also alleged that Patel used government aircraft for travel to Tennessee, a hunting trip in Texas, and a golf resort in Scotland. They further questioned reports that the FBI took steps to obscure aircraft tracking data.
In a Dec. 1 letter cited by Time, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) wrote, “Mr. Patel, these planes are not yours. They are the property of the U.S. Government and paid for by the American people. You have come to embody the corruption the American people despise.”
FBI directors are required to travel on government aircraft for both official and personal trips to maintain access to secure communications, according to bureau policy. They must reimburse the government at coach fare rates for personal travel.
Williamson stated in an Oct. 30 post that FBI directors are “mandated by Congress to travel on a government plane even on personal travel,” adding that “this FBI has taken steps to dramatically reduce costs of Director travel.” He also wrote that using government airfields instead of commercial airports can be “about 2.5x cheaper.”
In 2023, before becoming director, Patel criticized the bureau’s travel spending during an episode of his podcast “Kash’s Corner.”
“You ground [former F.B.I. Director] Chris Wray’s private jet that he pays for with taxpayer dollars to hop around the country,” Patel said. “You take away the fancy new fleet of cars from DOJ that they’re going to use to shuffle around executives.”
