FBI Director Faces Criticism For Partying With U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
FBI Director Kash Patel is defending his trip to Italy, where he celebrated Team USA’s 2–1 Olympic men’s hockey win over Canada Sunday. Video shows him chugging a beer with players in the locker room after the victory — the team’s first in nearly 50 years.
The FBI says that his trip included a number of key official meetings with European security leaders. FBI directors are required to fly on government aircraft for business trips to ensure access to secure communications.
But critics are pointing out the cost to U.S. taxpayers (up to $75,000) for his pit stop at the Olympic Games — especially after Patel himself criticized his predecessor in 2023 for personal travel expenses.
In a post on X, Patel defended the celebration, saying he was “extremely humbled” to join the “newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA.”
TRUMP JOINS IN
Patel held up a phone as President Trump called to congratulate the men's hockey team Sunday and invite them to Tuesday’s State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.
The president added during the call, “I do believe I probably would be impeached” if he did not also invite the U.S. women’s hockey team, which also won the gold medal. The comment prompted laughs from the players.
A spokesperson for the women’s team said the players will be unable to attend "due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments."
The Mo News community had thoughts about whether it was appropriate for the U.S. men’s hockey team to laugh at the president’s joke. 🏒⬇️
Other community members said Trump’s comment was clearly a joke…
