FBI Director’s Wild Olympic Locker Room Celebration Draws Fire Online

FBI Director Kash Patel defended his trip to Italy during the 2026 Winter Olympics after footage showed him celebrating Team USA’s ice hockey gold medal victory against Canada in the locker room, including drinking beer with players.

Patel was seen in the stands at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the final, wearing a long-sleeved Team USA shirt. An avid ice hockey fan, he later joined the team in the locker room, where he was filmed wearing a gold medal and dancing with players as they sang “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)” by Toby Keith.

The video, widely circulated in the media, sparked speculation about the purpose of Patel’s trip to Milan and drew criticism over optics, particularly as he traveled to Italy aboard the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) private jet.

Criticism of FBI Director Kash Patel came as the United States grappled with a series of high-profile security and law-enforcement concerns, prompting questions about leadership priorities. These included the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, unresolved questions surrounding the Epstein files, and heightened concerns for Americans living in Mexico after the Mexican army killed drug kingpin El Mencho on February 22.

At the same time, the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service responded to a security breach in Florida after an armed man drove into the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach on February 22. Authorities identified the suspect as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina, who was shot and killed during the incident.

The controversy quickly spread on social media, with Patel becoming the target of widespread criticism after the video circulated online. FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs Ben Williamson earlier addressed the backlash in a post on X, writing, “This is the fourth public official event since Director Patel’s arrival in Italy. And for those wondering, I have yet to receive any follow-up from CBS or MSNBC, who purposefully misled people into thinking Kash was flying to Italy just to hang out at the Olympics.”

Despite the clarification, social media users continued to question whether taxpayer money had been used for what they described as a personal trip. “Fun fact: You paid over $400,000 for Kash Patel’s Olympic vacation,” one user wrote. Another wrote, “So tired of funding vacations for Kash Patel and Kristi Noem.” A third comment read, “Liar, liar, pants on fire. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Williamson responded, “Your outlet wrote that he went to hang out at the Olympics on the taxpayer dime - even when provided information that your theory was false. When you’re ready to correct that, let me know. Won’t hold my breath.”

The FBI director addressed the criticism in a post on X, defending his actions and celebrating the moment. “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.

In a separate exchange with journalist Carol Leonnig, Williamson pushed back against claims that the trip was purely recreational. “‘His office insisted this was strictly a business trip’. That is not what happened,” Williamson wrote. “You tried to claim Kash only went to Italy for hockey. I responded on 2/19, outlining the meetings we had scheduled and saying any other personal expenses would be reimbursed. Here’s the email.”

Patel previously faced scrutiny for flying aboard a $60 million Department of Justice jet to attend a wrestling event in Nashville, where his singer-girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, was performing.