A celebratory locker-room video featuring Kash Patel at the 2026 Winter Olympics has moved from sports highlight to political flashpoint.
The footage, widely circulated on X and first amplified by user accounts before being picked up by national outlets, shows Patel inside the U.S. menβs hockey team locker room following its gold medal win in Milan. In the clip, Patel is holding a beer while speaking on speakerphone with President Donald Trump. At one point, Patel shouts, βFuck yeah,β and later adds, βIβm fuckinβ on it,β drawing cheers from players.
In which a clearly inebriated Kash Patel cracks open a beer while on the phone with the president of the United States and repeatedly curses.
βFuck yeah.β
βIβm fuckinβ on it.βCan you imagine this in any other administration? pic.twitter.com/ana5esVWsp
β That Gay Guy Candle Co. πΊπΈ (@gayguycandleco) February 23, 2026
During the call, Trump praised the athletes and discussed a potential White House visit. According to footage cited by multiple outlets, he said he would invite the womenβs hockey team as well, adding he would do so βreluctantlyβ β a remark that prompted laughter in the room. The comment has since circulated widely on social media, where critics framed it as dismissive. The White House has not issued a formal clarification regarding that portion of the call.
Patelβs trip to Milan unfolded alongside several high-profile security developments back in the United States. On Sunday, law enforcement officers shot and killed an armed man outside Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trumpβs Florida residence, according to the United States Secret Service. The agency said the incident would involve an FBI investigation. Patel acknowledged the breach on X prior to the locker-room celebration, writing that the bureau was βdedicating all necessary resourcesβ to the inquiry.
An armed man was shot & killed by U.S. Secret Service agents & @PBCountySheriff after unlawfully entering the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago early this morning. A press briefing with additional details will be held at 9:00 a.m with @FBI and Palm Beach County. pic.twitter.com/jAXhdb1xEL
β Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 22, 2026
The timing drew additional attention as other international security matters were unfolding. Trump has been publicly weighing potential strikes on Iran, a scenario with direct national security implications. In Mexico, cartel leader βEl Menchoβ was killed in a military raid that reportedly relied in part on U.S. intelligence, prompting the United States Department of State to issue a βshelter in placeβ alert for American citizens in affected regions. Meanwhile, FBI personnel were engaged in a search connected to Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of Savannah Guthrie of Today, as Patel appeared in a private box at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the U.S.βCanada gold medal matchup.
In a statement cited by several outlets, Patel defended his attendance, framing it as support for American athletes on an international stage. βThese young men represented our country with pride,β he said, according to broadcast coverage.
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.β¦
β Kash Patel (@Kash_Patel) February 23, 2026
No indication has been given that the trip violated federal travel rules, though ethics experts interviewed by media organizations noted that appearances blending official duties and celebratory events often draw scrutiny.
Reaction on X has been divided. Some users described the moment as a lighthearted celebration following a major Olympic victory. Others criticized the optics of the FBI director drinking beer and using profanity while on speaker with the president. One viral post characterized the scene as βdeclining standards,β while another wrote that the video βdoesnβt exactly scream institutional gravitas.β
Kash Patel took a taxpayer funded vacation to Italy on a private jet to recreate the Drake “bro thinks heβs on the team” meme with Team USA hockey pic.twitter.com/1jfwDt8LAS
β Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) February 23, 2026
thereβs arguably never been a point in history where an FBI Director had more on his plate than right nowβ¦
β¦ yet the American people see no results
just some guy partying in a place he shouldnβt be
β J//G0Ξ (@JagoeCapital) February 23, 2026
Depressing that the president says to them unfortunately weβre obligated to invite the womenβs team too β¦ and they all laugh. Like the womenβs gold is a joke. Offensive as hell.
β JMac (@JeannieForsyth) February 23, 2026
Will you refund the taxpayers for your luxury trip?
β Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) February 23, 2026
Trump, who has frequently stated publicly that he does not drink alcohol, appeared upbeat during the call. βYou guys are incredible,β he told the team in the clip aired by NBC affiliates.
As of publication, neither the FBI nor the White House has announced a review or inquiry related to the event. The episode continues to circulate primarily through broadcast segments and social media clips, with questions centered less on the gold medal β and more on the tone, travel, and optics surrounding the celebration.
