Sign Up Account Profile Log Out

Newsletters Morning Report 12:30 Report Evening Report Business Defense Health Care Technology Newsletter Energy & Environment Whole Hog Politics The Gavel The Movement

Technology Newsletter

NEWS Senate House Administration Courts Future America Media Campaign News Education In The Know Latino LGBTQ DC News Race & Politics State Watch Print Edition People in the News

POLICY Defense Health Care Energy & Environment Technology Transportation International Cybersecurity National Security Space Sustainability

BUSINESS Budget Taxes Personal Finance Lobbying

OPINION Columnists Congress Blog All Contributors Opinions – Campaign Opinions – Civil Rights Opinions – Criminal Justice Opinions – Cybersecurity Opinions – Education Opinions – Energy and Environment Opinions – Finance Opinions – Healthcare Opinions – Immigration Opinions – International Opinions – Judiciary Opinions – National Security Opinions – Technology Opinions – White House Submit Opinion Content

All Contributors Opinions – Campaign Opinions – Civil Rights Opinions – Criminal Justice Opinions – Cybersecurity Opinions – Education Opinions – Energy and Environment Opinions – Finance Opinions – Healthcare Opinions – Immigration Opinions – International Opinions – Judiciary Opinions – National Security Opinions – Technology Opinions – White House

Opinions – Civil Rights

Opinions – Criminal Justice

Opinions – Cybersecurity

Opinions – Energy and Environment

Opinions – Healthcare

Opinions – Immigration

Opinions – International

Opinions – National Security

Opinions – Technology

Opinions – White House

Submit Opinion Content

EVENTS Upcoming Events About

Sign Up Account Profile Log Out

Live updates: DHS shutdown

Content from Google Cloud

Abbott urges Texans to ‘stay alert’ amid chaos between US, Mexican drug cartels State Watch | 9 minutes ago

Opinion After Trump, the US needs a Truth and Reconciliation Commission Opinions - White House | 10 minutes ago

Appeals court sides with Louisiana on Ten Commandments in schools Education | 16 minutes ago

Anthropic CEO to meet Hegseth amid dispute over military use of Claude Defense | 21 minutes ago

Greenland PM says thanks but no thanks to Trump hospital ship offer Health Care | 23 minutes ago

68 percent say Trump focused on wrong problems: Poll Campaign | 38 minutes ago

Opinion For Trump, corporate profits are more important than American lives  Opinions - Energy and Environment | 40 minutes ago

Hegseth says he’ll order random pizzas to throw off monitoring app Defense | 43 minutes ago

Patel sparks outrage partying with Team USA as MAGA cheers him on

FBI Director Kash Patel is at the center of an online firestorm after videos captured inside Team USA’s men’s hockey locker room on Sunday showed him chugging beers, singing a Toby Keith song and partying with the Olympic gold medal-winning team.

Patel, a noted hockey fan, was in Milan to watch the U.S. take down Canada in overtime 2-1, claiming the team’s first gold medal in more than 40 years and only the third in its history.

On Friday, the FBI pushed back on reports about Patel’s use of government aircraft to travel to Milan, saying that the director was in Italy “meeting with regional partners and security teams,” on travel that was planned months in advance. A spokesman also said planned attendance at the Games was because “the FBI also has a major role in Olympic security.”

But his spirited celebration in the locker room after the gold-medal game angered critics who wondered on social media why he was there.

“The grift & corruption is unreal,” wrote Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) in one social media post. “Your taxpayer dollars funding the FBI Director’s Italian vacation.”

“3 million pages of evidence of a massive child sex trafficking ring and this is what the FBI director is doing right now,” added Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) in a post of his own, referring to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Patel defended himself in a statement late on Sunday.

“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,” the FBI director said.

FBI spokesman Ben Williamson also wrote on X that “any other personal expenses would be reimbursed” by Patel.

Ahead of Patel’s travel, Williamson had written that this was “not a personal trip.”

The FBI declined to comment beyond Patel’s online remarks.

Patel has repeatedly come under fire for his use of the FBI jet, facing criticism for flying to sporting events as well as to a performance by his country singer girlfriend. 

In December, House Judiciary Democrats ignited a probe into his use of the FBI jet, accusing him of having “commandeered U.S. government aircraft for personal joyrides” and using the aircraft for “date night.”

Xochitl Hinojosa, spokeswoman for the Department of Justice under President Biden, noted Patel’s presence at the Olympics came amid several other ongoing matters requiring FBI focus.

“There was a threat at the president’s residence at [Mar-a-Lago], Americans in Mexico are facing major threats by cartel members, Nancy Guthrie is still missing, and our FBI Director thinks he’s a frat bro?!” she wrote on X.

The former CNN host and commentator Don Lemon — who is facing charges following his coverage of protests in Minneapolis — posted a video asking, “you’re the head of the FBI, dude. Why are you even there? … this administration is so tacky.”

Media figures on the right also dismissed reporters who shared video of Patel in the locker room and mocked critics who argued his being there was inappropriate.

“No matter what the Left is trying to turn this into…every proud American is smiling through every second of this video,” the Fox News host Will Cain said.

The conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt wrote he did not think “the lefties … quite understand the impact on the standing of [Patel].”

Patel also facilitated a phone call from President Trump with the team, during which he praised American goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and invited the squad to Tuesday’s State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.

Updated at 10:45 a.m. EST.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

More Administration News

Texas GOP Senate candidate: ‘It’s time for the next generation of American ...

Democratic leaders scrambling to prevent repeat of last year’s rowdy State of ...

Republicans eye opening for DHS deal this week as Democrats double down

Patel responds to Olympics backlash, says he was invited to locker room after ...

Cannon blocks release of Smith’s report on Mar-a-Lago documents case

US trade rep: Trump administration ‘found ways to really reconstruct’ its ...

Republicans see political gold in Mamdani property tax proposal

US Embassy tells Americans to shelter in place after Mexican army kills cartel ...

Patel sparks outrage partying with Team USA as MAGA cheers him on

House Democrats announce first group of ‘Red to Blue’ candidates

Trump predicts Supreme Court will rule against him on birthright citizenship ...

Gov. Sanders on tariffs: Fastest way to get Trump to act is ‘tell him that he ...

Hegseth says he’ll order random pizzas to throw off monitoring app

Kennedy doubles down on defense of Trump glyphosate order amid MAHA backlash

The State of the Union is dire: What Trump won’t say at his address

Trump calls for Netflix to fire Susan Rice after she warned corporations for ...

Bacon signals Trump’s new tariff order ‘will be defeated’ by Congress

DHS reverses on TSA PreCheck amid shutdown; Global Entry suspended

The Hill Podcasts – Morning Report

2024 Election Results

2024 Election Forecast

Regulation - Administration

Energy & Environment Video Clips

Health Care Video Clips

Technology Video Clips

Transportation Video Clips

International Video Clips

Cybersecurity Video Clips

National Security Video Clips

Contributors to The Hill

Submit Opinion Content

PRIVACY POLICY 09/30/2025

Advertise with Nexstar

Journalistic Integrity

THE HILL 400 N CAPITOL STREET NW, SUITE 650 WASHINGTON DC 20002

© 1998 - 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

Provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

Sign in to create a free account. No password needed.

By clicking on any of the sign up options below, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use, which includes a jury trial waiver and class action waiver, and that you have read our Privacy Policy detailing our collection, use and sharing of your personal information.

By clicking on any of the sign up options below, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use, which includes a jury trial waiver and class action waiver, and that you have read our Privacy Policy detailing our collection, use and sharing of your personal information.

The Hill is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.

Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.

The Hill is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.

Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is a leading, diversified media company that produces and distributes engaging local and national news, sports, and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms. The My Nexstar sign-in works across the Nexstar network—including The CW, NewsNation, The Hill, and more. Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.

Provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

Check your email inbox

Provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

Thanks for registering!

Provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

Are you sure you want to log out?

© The Hill