President Donald Trump has rebuked FBI Director Kash Patel in private after the bureau chief was filmed chugging a beer and pounding a table during a jubilant locker-room celebration with the US men’s hockey team at the Winter Olympics.
The video, first posted by ProPublica, showed Patel, a longtime hockey fan, celebrating alongside players after Team USA‘s gold-medal win over Canada, the country’s first Olympic men’s hockey gold since 1980.
In the footage, Patel can be seen enthusiastically drinking from a beer and shouting amid the revelry with the scene quickly going viral.
But behind the scenes, Trump was displeased, reports NBC News.
According to the person familiar with the matter, the president told Patel he was unhappy with the locker-room celebration and also raised concerns about Patel’s use of a government aircraft for the trip to Milan.
His journey to Europe, which could cost taxpayers up to $75,000, sparked a backlash – despite the FBI insisting: ‘It is not a personal trip.’
Trump, who does not drink alcohol, took issue with both the optics of the celebration and the travel arrangements, the source said.
The FBI declined to comment on whether Trump expressed frustration with Patel.
FBI director Kash Patel is pictured inside the locker room alongside Team USA hockey stars
President Trump privately conveyed disappointment to Patel over his beer-chugging celebration with Team USA at the Winter Olympics
In a statement, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson instead emphasized the administration’s broader record on public safety.
‘Crime rates are dropping across the board,’ Jackson said. ‘This is a direct result of the President’s law and order agenda which is being successfully implemented by his law and order team, including FBI Director Kash Patel. The President has full confidence in his Administration.’
Patel has defended his presence in Italy, saying the trip was official and not solely related to the Olympics.
He said he met with Italian law enforcement officials and US agencies involved in security for the international event.
‘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,’ Patel wrote on X after the video was circulated.
Video shared online shows Patel drinking and spraying a bottle of beer. He then bangs on a table and celebrates wildly before a gold medal is draped over his neck.
The FBI director had earlier posted pictures from inside the locker room.
The photos and videos have sparked fury among many Americans, given the FBI’s claims that this was a business trip.
Patel is pictured in the stands at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena for Sunday’s final
The timing of Patel’s trip also drew scrutiny. While he was in Italy, an armed man entered the security perimeter of Trump’s Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago. Trump was not present at the time.
Patel has previously faced questions about his use of FBI aircraft.
Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to ‘investigate Director Patel’s misuse or mismanagement of government resources.’
Adding to the swirl of controversy, the FBI this week fired at least 10 employees connected to the 2022 search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, according to three people familiar with the matter.
That search uncovered classified documents and led to one of two federal criminal cases against Trump, both of which were ultimately dismissed.
Patel also disclosed that his own cellphone ‘toll’ records were obtained during the investigations related to Trump.
