On top of the controversial saga surrounding the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) release of Epstein Files only blowing up further, the United States continues to grapple with a number of serious issues at hand that need prompt resolutions. Making matters even worse, another row–with Kash Patel at the centre–started brewing up against the backdrop of US men’s historic gold win at the 2026 Winter Olympics, aka Milano Cortina 2026, on Sunday (US time).

As America obsessed over Team USA’s epic Olympic showdown against Canada in Milan, visuals of a subsequent raucous locker room celebration went viral on social media. While netizens were equally thrilled to join in on the fun, they couldn’t help but viciously call out FBI Director Kash Patel, who was also seen partying it up with the US Olympic champions behind the scenes.

What happened: Kash Patel’s Olympics jet-setting comes under fire

The former podcaster has repeatedly faced flak for his use of official FBI resources, including the jet, for purported personal travel. On Sunday, he again met with the same level of criticism as viral videos (some apparently deleted) caught him chugging beer in a locker room with gold medal-winning members of the US men’s ice hockey team.

What particularly grabbed Americans’ attention was how Patel was outrightly boasting about his Olympics trip on social media. The FBI boss ended up sharing a series of photos of himself alongside Team USA just hours after an agency spokesperson dismissed suggestions and previous reports that sought to put him on blast for using the FBI jet to hang out at the Olympics.

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US law mandates that Patel reimburse the federal government if FBI resources are used for personal purposes. 

The new wave of accusations about his official FBI jet use mirrors those raised last year as well. At the time, many criticised him for allegedly jetting off on a government aircraft to see his country music singer girlfriend Alexie Wilkins. Even then, netizens particularly ridiculed him for his hypocrisy, as just two years earlier, Patel had spoken out against then-FBI Director Chris Wray benefiting “private jet travel that he pays for with taxpayer dollars to hop around the country.”

In December, Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee wrote to the agency, demanding records that could confirm it had been reimbursed.

“Why should American taxpayers be footing the bill for private jets every time you decide to hang out with your golf buddies, see your girlfriend, or go to your boondoggle escape?” the officials wrote back then.

FBI vs media report: Kash Patel row intensifies

Days ahead of the Team USA vs Canada hockey clash, MS Now and CBS News published reports citing sources familiar with Patel’s plans to fly to Milan. Additionally, a February 19 MS Now article stated FBI official confirmed his travel plans, but added that Patel had several official government enagements scheduled for the period, including a meeting with an ambassador, briefings on Olympics security and other official interactions.

Subsequently, Ben Williamson, Assistant Director for Public Affairs at the FBI, tweeted online that the CBS report was “designed to mislead,” claiming the outlet was “just looking at public flight tracking, guessing, and then filling space with old info and quotes from Democrats.”

The FBI official outrightly rejected claims about it being a personal outing in a Thursday post, adding that his trip had been planned months ago.

“It includes: partner meetings with Italian law enforcement and security officials (they invited the Director last July), meeting with Ambassador Fertitta (as a follow up to our law enforcement roundtable he hosted in January), meetings with Legat staff, and more,” Williamsom said on X. “The FBI also has a major role in Olympic security – as we do with the World Cup, F1, and more – so we have a U.S. consulate briefing on Olympic security and current FBI posture, as well as thanking FBI personnel on the ground.”

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Over the weekend, FBI officials, alongside Patel, continued sharing pictures of his participation across multiple public official events, including his time spent at the US Embassy in Rome and a visit to the Milan Joint Operations Center, a 24/7 interagency operation with international partners to support the Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.

Meanwhile, Williamson repeatedly hit out against MS Now and CBS in a series of tweets. In one such rant, he furiously responded to correspondent Ken Dilanian asking whether Patel would be at the hockey game on Sunday. “Your rag 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,” Williamson replied.

Also sharing an email interaction with Dilanian and MS Now’s Carol Leonnig, Williamson accused the outlet of falsely suggesting “Kash only went to Italy for hockey.” Further countering claims that Patel’s “office insisted this was strictly a business trip,” the spokesperson wrote in the email that the agency had held back from commenting on travel for security purposes.

Reiterating the official itinerary involving Kash’s meetings, Williamson also addressed the possibility of the FBI director’s personal engagements during the trip. “Any personal portion would be reimbursed, but I’m only tracking the official meetings. It is NOT accurate to say he’s flying out on government funds for a personal trip. I’d also note this (like all trips) was planned months in advance.”

How Kash Patel responded

On his part, Kash Patel shared several posts highlighting his official interactions as part of the Italy trip schedule.

That particular series of posts also ended up including an update on the Saturday Mar-a-Lago shooting. “FBI is dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation of this morning’s incident at President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago – where an armed individual was shot and killed after unlawfully entering the perimeter,” he wrote on X.

Through his official FBI account, he also went on to re-share a post he’d originally posted via his personal verified account. It included behind-the-scenes pictures of his locker room celebration with the gold-winning Team USA.

“Unity, Sacrifice, Attitude- what it takes to be the best in the world. These men live and breathe it. Now Team USA are gold medal champions, legends standing on the shoulders of giants. Thank you for representing the greatest country on earth, in the greatest game ever created. Congrats boys,” he said online.

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In a follow-up tweet, he directly hit out against the “very concerned media” pushing stories around his Milan outing, saying, “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.”

Why this controversy has come at a bad time for Kash patel 

Major backlash took over US headlines as many accused Patel (as has happened before) of blurring the lines between his personal interests and professional responsibilities at the expense of American “taxpayer dime.” Although Patel has since broken his silence in attempts to defend himself against the loud criticism, many, including officials, couldn’t see past the bad timing of the new controversy.

The FBI boss’ now-infamously viral Olympics outing comes at a time when the US is juggling multiple major crises like:

  • The Justice Department exposing millions of pages from the notorious Epstein Files, referencing top government officials and other high-profile personalities  
  • A ‘shelter in place’ warning for Americans stranded in Mexico after violence broke out following the killing of most-wanted cartel boss Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes in a military operation
  • The hunt for missing Nancy Guthrie stretches to its 22nd day
  • An armed man’s forceful intrusion into Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence on the same day. Identified as Austin Tucker Martin, the 21-year-old was ultimately shot dead the scene.