FBI Director assigns entire SWAT team to shadow his girlfriend at event, but when agents leave early, his reaction stuns everyone

FBI Director Kash Patel got really angry after a whole FBI SWAT team he sent to watch his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, left her while she was singing the national anthem at a big event. This happened back in April at the yearly National Rifle Association conference at the Georgia World Congress Center.

The 45-year-old FBI boss had sent the SWAT team from the agency’s Atlanta office to follow his 27-year-old girlfriend, who wants to be a country singer, The New York Times reports. But the agents saw that the place was safe and decided Wilkins wasn’t in any real danger. So they left before the event ended.

According to Daily Mail, when Patel found out his security team had left, he reportedly got very upset with the team’s commander. He called their decision to leave a “failure of the chain of command” for leaving his girlfriend “unprotected.”

Using taxpayer money for girlfriend protection is wild

This kind of heavy and unusually common taxpayer-funded SWAT security is making people across the bureau raise their eyebrows. Current and former FBI officials say this is “highly unusual,” pointing out that girlfriends and spouses of officials normally don’t get this kind of protection.

This isn’t just a one-time thing either. Patel has reportedly used his power to give Wilkins extra protection many times. Top FBI agents who usually work with the Nashville office’s SWAT team have been sent to watch her in her home city.

Critics say that agents assigned to protect the singer are being pulled away from handling more serious possible crimes. Christopher O’Leary, a former Marine and FBI agent who led dangerous missions, didn’t hold back his criticism. He said that sending SWAT-trained agents to guard Wilkins shows Patel’s “lack of leadership experience, judgment and humility.” O’Leary has previously shared insights on what law enforcement looks for during routine encounters.

“There is no legitimate justification for this. This is a clear abuse of position and misuse of government resources,” O’Leary explained. He pointed out that Wilkins is not Patel’s wife and doesn’t even live in the same city or house as the Director. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray’s wife, Helen Wray, even said that she only got a security detail when she was traveling with her husband.

The bureau is trying to defend the heavy protection, saying Wilkins has faced many death threats since her three-year relationship with Patel became public. A spokesperson said that Wilkins is getting the detail because she has faced “hundreds of credible death threats.” Wilkins has shared publicly some of the abuse she’s gotten, posting screenshots on X that she called “a morning in my DMs.” 

The comments included one user writing, “you should pray to christ and end your life! You’re better off in his hands than on this earth.” Another person wrote, “You need to touch a bullet,” and a third added, “Someone needs to kidnap her.” Public figures and workers in various fields often face uncomfortable situations, much like flight attendants dealing with boundary issues from the public.

Despite all the criticism, the White House is standing by Patel. Abigail Jackson said that “FBI Director Patel is restoring integrity to the FBI and doing an excellent job implementing the President’s agenda,” though she didn’t directly mention Wilkins or the security detail controversy.