President Donald Trump privately expressed disappointment to FBI Director Kash Patel over his conduct at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The conversation followed viral footage showing Patel celebrating with the U.S. men’s hockey team after its gold medal victory against Canada.
In a video first posted by ProPublica, Patel could be seen chugging a beer, banging on a table and celebrating inside the team’s locker room following the win. The victory marked the first Olympic gold medal for the U.S. men’s hockey team since 1980.
According to NBC News, President Trump told Patel he was unhappy with both the locker-room celebration and Patel’s use of a government aircraft for the trip to Milan, Italy.
President Trump does not drink alcohol.
The FBI declined to comment on whether the president was upset with Patel.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson issued a statement emphasizing the administration’s broader priorities.
“This is a direct result of the President’s law and order agenda which is being successfully implemented by his law and order team, including FBI Director Kash Patel,” Jackson said. “The President has full confidence in his Administration.”
Patel has maintained that his trip to Italy was official in nature.
He stated that, in addition to attending the Olympic event, he met with Italian law enforcement officials and U.S. agencies involved in providing security for the international competition, per NBC News.
“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,” Patel wrote on X after the video circulated.
The Olympic trip coincided with a separate security incident in Florida. An armed man was shot after entering the security perimeter at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump’s residence. The president was not present at the time.
Patel has previously faced scrutiny over his use of government aircraft.
Sen. Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, requested that the Justice Department’s inspector general investigate Patel’s use of government resources.
On Friday, the Democracy Defenders Fund filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking materials related to Patel’s meetings while in Italy.
The request asks for records concerning Patel’s “official, personal, and political meetings” and whether he accepted any gifts, including free attendance at the men’s hockey final.
The controversy comes amid other developments at the FBI.
Earlier this week, at Patel’s direction, the bureau dismissed at least 10 employees connected to the 2022 search of President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, according to people familiar with the matter.
Patel also disclosed that his own cellphone toll records were obtained during prior federal investigations into President Trump.
Both federal cases against President Trump related to classified documents and other matters were later dismissed.
The White House has not publicly commented further on the reported conversation between President Trump and Patel.
NBC News first reported that President Trump conveyed his displeasure directly to the FBI director following the viral Olympic footage.
