A video has surfaced showing FBI Director Kash Patel celebrating with the Team USA men’s hockey players at the Winter Olympics in Italy, sparking public debate. The footage, which spread on X and other platforms, shows Patel drinking beer, spraying a bottle, and banging on a table in the locker room. A gold medal was also draped around his neck during the celebration.
According to Daily Mail, Patel himself posted pictures from inside the locker room, posing with Coach Mike Sullivan and players including Jack Hughes. The FBI spokesperson, Ben Williamson, stressed that the trip was “not a personal trip” and had been planned months in advance. Williamson said Patel was in Europe for meetings with ambassadors, Italian law enforcement, and US agents, pointing to the FBI’s role in Olympic security.
Patel’s travel to Italy was on a government jet, which could cost taxpayers up to $75,000. A source close to the director pushed back on the criticism, saying the FBI will be “in charge of security completely for FIFA [World Cup] and the 2028 American Olympics,” and asked if Americans would rather “get blown up at major events” than have Patel do this work.
Patel’s locker room celebration is hard to separate from a pattern of mixing personal interests with taxpayer-funded travel
Many people are not accepting the “business trip” explanation, given the images of Patel partying in the locker room. Patel has also faced criticism over other decisions in his role, including his handling of a controversial ICE-related investigation that led prosecutors to resign in protest.
The controversy over the Italy trip is made worse by the fact that the FBI is currently handling several serious cases, including the search for Nancy Guthrie and the death of a gunman shot at Mar-a-Lago. Patel, an amateur hockey player who also coaches youth hockey, addressed the criticism on X.
He wrote: “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.”
This is not the first time Patel has faced questions about using government aircraft for personal travel. Over the past year, he has reportedly used the FBI jet, which costs a minimum of $5,000 per flight hour, to attend UFC fights and rodeos with his girlfriend, country music artist Alexis Wilkins. Wilkins has also drawn attention of her own, after her stance on GOP and Bad Bunny controversy raised questions about her own position.
Team USA secured a 2-1 overtime victory against Canada in Milan, winning their first men’s Winter Olympics gold medal in nearly half a century. Jack Hughes scored the winning goal, and the win came just days after the US women’s team claimed gold in the same fashion. President Trump called the team after the win to congratulate them.
Coach Mike Sullivan revealed that Trump said the game was “an inspiration to our country” and that he was proud of the group. Captain Auston Matthews confirmed the call, saying, “We’re all proud Americans, obviously. This is a huge moment for us. A huge moment for the United States. He called, just congratulated us.” Trump also reportedly invited the players to his State of the Union address.
Published: Feb 23, 2026 12:15 pm