Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, has defended his attendance at the Winter Olympics in Milan, insisting the Bureau was 'providing security' at the event. Ms Wilkins, a 27-year-old aspiring country music singer, briefly addressed the controversy on her Rumble show 'Between the Headlines'.
Mr Patel has faced criticism over his four-day trip, which included watching the gold medal match and celebrating in the locker room with the US men's hockey team after their victory. Critics accused him of misusing government resources. However, Ms Wilkins suggested the media had misrepresented the trip, stating that people 'run things in the media in order to cause an outrage'.
The FBI director defended his presence, saying he was 'invited' to celebrate and later facilitated a call between the team and President Donald Trump. An FBI spokesperson clarified that the trip had been planned for months and included 'productive meetings' on counterterrorism, crime enforcement, and Olympic security.
An internal schedule obtained by the New York Times indicated Mr Patel had significant downtime between meetings. The FBI condemned the leak of the schedule as a 'criminal act'. Since becoming director, Mr Patel has also faced accusations of using the FBI jet for personal travel, including visits to Ms Wilkins, which he has defended as necessary for security reasons.
