FBI Director Kash Patel is facing massive backlash for his frat-bro locker room celebration with the U.S. Men's Ice Hockey team following their gold medal victory over Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
Videos of Patel partying with the players went viral on the Instagram Live account of teammate and Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin on Sunday, February 22, showing Patel fully immersed in the team's postgame festivities.
The beleaguered FBI director, 45, who has faced has faced significant scrutiny regarding his use of taxpayer-funded resources for his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, was filmed chugging beer from a bottle, spraying it around the room and singing Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" with the players.
Kash Patel Channeled His Best Frat-Bro as He Partied With USA Hockey Team
Source: CNNFBI Director Kash Patel had a fine time at the Olympics.
Forward and Florida Panthers player Matthew Tkachuk was seen draping his gold medal around Patel's neck as they jumped and danced together.
Patel himself posted photos of the celebration to his personal X account and re-tweeted them to his official FBI account, praising the team's "Unity, Sacrifice [and] Attitude.""Unity, Sacrifice, Attitude - what it takes to be the best in the world," he wrote. "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'
Source: @Kash_Patel/XFBI Director Kash Patel made partying with gold medalists official business.
The FBI initially stated Patel was in Italy for official security consultations and meetings with Italian law enforcement. However, critics argue the locker room footage contradicts the "official business" narrative and suggest he used a taxpayer-funded government jet costing approximately $75,000 for a personal sporting event.
The celebration occurred while the FBI was reportedly managing several domestic crises, including a fatal shooting at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and the ongoing search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
Opponents, including a spokesperson for former Attorney General Merrick Garland, characterized his behavior as acting like a "frat bro" rather than a high-ranking law enforcement official.
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Kash Patel 'Extremely Humbled' by Team USA Locker Room Invite
Source: @LeadingReport/XFBI Director Kash Patel chugged beer in the locker room with the U.
S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team.
Patel dismissed the criticism on social media, stating he was "extremely humbled" when his friends on Team USA invited him into the locker room to celebrate a "historic moment."He defended the trip as a pre-planned security mission that happened to overlap with the Games.
Before the video surfaced, FBI Assistant Director of Public Affairs Ben Williamson publicly blasted MS NOW correspondent Ken Dilanian and other reporters, calling their outlets "rags" for suggesting Patel was in Italy to "hang out" at the Olympics. Williamson insisted Patel was there for official security meetings and briefings.'A Flat-Out Liar'
Source: @KDILANIANMSNOW/XMS NOW correspondent Ken Dilanian reposted an embarrassing tweet by the FBI Assistant Director of Public Affairs.
"I have yet to receive any follow up from CBS or MS NOW who purposefully misled people to think Kash was flying to Italy to hang out at the Olympics," Williamson said on X.
Dilanian responded with a clip of Patel hanging out with the U.S. men's hockey team after their gold medal win.
Kyle Seraphin, a "recovering FBI agent" who once advised Patel before he was sworn in as the Bureau's top boss, called Williamson a "liar" for saying the director was in Italy for professional reasons."Ben Williamson, FBI AD of Public Affairs, is a flat-out liar," MAGA podcaster Kyle Seraphin said. "@FBIDirectorKash went to Italy to hang out at the Olympics... and he accidentally got caught on Dylan Larkin's livestream from Team USA's locker room, His 'meetings with law enforcements' were just a cover.""Kash Patel has not found Nancy Guthrie in Milan in the USA Men's Team locker room," quipped one Instagram user. "Leaving no stone unturned in this search."