FBI Director Kash Patel is pushing back against what he calls “disgustingly baseless attacks” following reports that he used a government jet to attend a wrestling event where his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, was performing.
The controversy began after The Bulwark reported that Patel, 45, flew aboard a government aircraft to Pennsylvania State University to see Wilkins perform at the “Real American Freestyle” event. Flight logs, publicly available through FlightAware, appeared to confirm that a federal jet traveled from Manassas, Virginia, to State College, Pennsylvania, on October 25 — then continued to Nashville, where Wilkins resides.
The revelation quickly ignited criticism online, particularly after Wilkins posted a selfie with Patel from the event. Within hours, social media users began tracing the FBI jet’s flight path, sparking questions about Patel’s personal use of government resources.
Patel responded on Sunday through a defiant post on X (formerly Twitter), accusing the media of targeting his partner for political reasons.
“The disgustingly baseless attacks against Alexis — a true patriot and the woman I’m proud to call my partner in life — are beyond pathetic,” Patel wrote. “She is a rock-solid conservative and a country music sensation who has done more for this nation than most will in ten lifetimes. I’m so blessed she’s in my life.”
He added that the reports had “jeopardized our safety” and criticized “supposed allies staying silent” amid what he described as a coordinated smear campaign.
However, Patel did not directly address whether he used a taxpayer-funded aircraft for personal travel — nor did he comment on reports that his anger over the coverage led to the ousting of Steven Palmer, a 27-year FBI veteran who oversaw aviation operations.
According to Bloomberg Law, Palmer was forced out even though Patel’s flight logs were already public.
Patel’s spokesperson, Ben Williamson, defended his boss earlier in the week, calling the criticism “disingenuous and dumb.” Williamson insisted Patel followed all government protocols, reimbursing costs for personal trips and significantly reducing non-official travel compared with previous FBI directors.
“He’s allowed to take personal time on occasion to see family, friends or his longtime girlfriend,” Williamson said. “He doesn’t do it often.”
Ironically, Patel himself was one of the fiercest critics of his predecessor, Christopher Wray, whom he accused in 2023 of “jetting off on taxpayer dollars while dodging accountability for the implosion of the FBI.”
Now, Patel faces similar scrutiny — at a moment when his leadership is already under pressure.
Sources inside the Justice Department told MSNBC that officials were frustrated when Patel prematurely announced that the FBI had foiled a “major terror plot” in Michigan before charges had been filed. Days later, defense attorneys for several suspects claimed no such plot existed, describing the group as “young men chatting online.”
“I don’t know where this hysteria and fearmongering came from,” said attorney Amir Makled, who represents one of the men. “There’s no evidence of any terror conspiracy here.”
The dual controversies — one over alleged misuse of government resources, the other over a possibly exaggerated terrorism case — have raised fresh concerns about Patel’s judgment and the direction of the FBI under his leadership.
For now, Patel appears unbowed. But within Washington, even his allies acknowledge that the turbulence around him is deepening — and that his promise to restore credibility to the Bureau may be growing harder to keep.
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