FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly prioritised attending Premier League football matches over official meetings with international intelligence allies, including the UK's MI5 director, according to a senior FBI executive cited by The New York Times.
The source said that during a secret Five Eyes Conference in May—a gathering of intelligence agencies from the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US—Patel expressed dissatisfaction with office-based meetings and instead requested social events such as live football, jet skiing and helicopter tours. The executive quoted Patel's staff as saying: 'He wants Premier soccer games... He wants to go jet skiing... Everyone who heard about this was like: Hold on.'
The White House denied the claims, describing the report as a 'regurgitation of fake narratives' filled with 'speculation from anonymous sources'. A White House deputy press secretary highlighted falling crime rates under President Trump's agenda, stating that Patel is 'restoring integrity to the FBI'.
Patel is a known fan of Liverpool FC, having worn a club tie to a US Senate hearing and celebrated their Premier League title win in April. The NYT article also alleged that Patel prioritised social media strategy over operational response following the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, with sources claiming he and deputy Dan Bongino scripted tweets instead of discussing the situation.
The FBI responded to the allegations by calling the story 'conjecture and speculation from anonymous sources who are disconnected from reality', insisting that the bureau under Patel's leadership has delivered a 'historic 2025'.
