The optics of seeing the director of the FBI chugging celebratory beers with the U.S. Olympic hockey team after winning the gold hasnāt set well with some.
FBI Director Kash Patel was on hand for the final game, where the U.S. defeated Canada in overtime 2-1 to take the gold.
But his actions in the locker room afterward ā chugging beers, singing a Toby Keith song and partying ā have people questioning his presence.
Patel, a noted hockey fan, pushed back Friday when reports surfaced of his use of government aircraft to travel to Milan.
The explanation was the director was in Italy āmeeting with regional partners and security teams.ā A spokesman also said planned to attend the Games because āthe FBI also has a major role in Olympic security.ā
But his locker room antics angered critics.
āThe grift & corruption is unreal,ā wrote Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) in a social media post. āYour taxpayer dollars funding the FBI Directorās Italian vacation.ā
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ā3 million pages of evidence of a massive child sex trafficking ring and this is what the FBI director is doing right now,ā added Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) in a post on X, referring to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Patel defended himself in a statement Sunday.
āFor the very concerned media ā 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,ā Patel wrote.
FBI spokesman Ben Williamson also posted on X that āany other personal expenses would be reimbursedā by Patel.
Xochitl Hinojosa, spokeswoman for the Department of Justice under President Joe Biden, said Patelās presence at the Olympics is unusual give several other ongoing matters requiring FBI focus.
āThere was a threat at the presidentās residence at , Americans in Mexico are facing major threats by cartel members, Nancy Guthrie is still missing, and our FBI Director thinks heās a frat bro?!ā she wrote on X.