FBI Director Kash Patel launched a blistering counterattack against critics Sunday, defending his girlfriend Alexis Wilkins after facing intense scrutiny over his use of an FBI jet to attend her performance at a wrestling match in Pennsylvania.
The 45-year-old director took to social media with a lengthy statement attacking what he called “uninformed internet anarchists” who questioned his recent travel to watch the 26-year-old country singer perform the national anthem.
Patel traveled to State College, Pennsylvania, where Wilkins sang at a wrestling event, before the jet continued to Nashville.
Patel described the criticism directed at Wilkins as unacceptable.
He stated that attacks against her represented cowardly behavior that endangered their safety.
The FBI chief characterized his girlfriend as a committed patriot who had contributed significantly to the nation.
The director emphasized that family would always remain his primary focus and vowed that critics would never prevent him from spending time with loved ones.
He concluded his statement with what some interpreted as a warning to administration allies who remained quiet during the controversy, suggesting their silence spoke volumes.
Patel’s spokesperson Ben Williamson defended the director’s travel, arguing that his trips involved far less expenditure than those of previous FBI leaders James Comey and Christopher Wray.
Williamson stated that Patel reimburses costs in advance and rarely takes personal time to visit family, friends or his longtime girlfriend.
The controversy intensified after former FBI agent Kyle Seraphin posted a satirical message mocking Patel during the government funding lapse.
The post referenced Patel flying the FBI jet to Pennsylvania for the wrestling event before traveling to Nashville, where Wilkins resides.
Conservative commentator Candace Owens criticized Patel’s lengthy defense Sunday night, questioning why the FBI director felt compelled to publicly defend a girlfriend rather than a wife.
Owens suggested the episode reflected poorly on the nation’s seriousness.
The jet controversy occurred amid reported tensions between Patel and other Trump administration officials.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche have reportedly clashed with Patel over his handling of an investigation into an alleged potential terrorist act in Michigan, which turned out to involve gamers.
Before posting his girlfriend’s defense, Patel reportedly terminated senior official Steven Palmer, a 27-year veteran who managed crisis communications.
The Daily Mail reported that multiple sources indicated Palmer’s dismissal connected directly to negative media coverage of the jet usage, with officials telling him to resign or face termination.
The FBI has not responded to requests for comment regarding Palmer’s departure or the jet controversy.
Wilkins has attracted significant attention throughout Patel’s tenure at the bureau.
The country singer has faced unfounded accusations from some MAGA critics, including conspiracy theories claiming she serves as a foreign intelligence operative.
Some online conspiracy theorists have accused Wilkins of being a so-called honeypot spy who uses romantic relationships to compromise intelligence targets.
Their 19-year age difference has fueled baseless speculation, which Wilkins has strongly rejected.
Wilkins told the Daily Mail in August that such accusations would require an implausibly long timeline, given she dated Patel for years before his FBI appointment.
She revealed the harassment became so severe she blocked certain terms from her social media comments.
