FBI Director Kash Patel has faced an onslaught of comments online after footage went viral of his celebration in the men’s hockey locker room following the team’s Olympic gold win.
The 2026 Winter Olympics came to a close yesterday (February 22) and saw the US take home a plethora of medals – 33 to be exact.
One of Team USA’s wins saw the men’s hockey team take home gold. And who should be there to join the team in their locker room celebration in Milan but FBI Director Kash Patel.
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While an armed man was shot and killed trying to sneak into one of US President Donald Trump’s resort and US tourists were left stranded in Mexico after the killing of Mexico’s most-wanted drug lord, just hours later a video emerged online of the FBI director caught on camera celebrating the US hockey team’s win. And he certainly celebrated hard.Shared widely on social media, the footage shows Patel dressed up in a white USA shirt, singing along with players and chugging a beer before spraying it across the locker room.
And sure enough, it’s not taken long for the comments to flood in.
Xochitl Hinojosa, the spokeswoman for former Attorney General Merrick Garland, said in a post to X: « There was a threat at the president’s residence at MAL, Americans in Mexico are facing major threats by cartel members, Nancy Guthrie is still missing, and our FBI Director thinks he’s a frat bro?! »
Another added: « There’s still three million Epstein files to be released to the American public, and this is what your FBI Director is doing instead. »
A Reddit user simply branded it ‘f**king shameful,’ with another responding: « Can you imagine what it must be like for Epstein’s victims and their families to see this? It just boggles the mind. It’s too sickening to even properly comprehend. »
Others questioned whether Patel had flown to Milan ‘on a government jet to watch Olympic hockey on the taxpayers’ dime’.
However, another X user clarified: « The FBI Director is required to take his ‘government jet’ any time he travels, for security reasons. So there is nothing illegal or unethical about an FBI Director traveling somewhere in his jet. »
That did little to take away from just how unimpressed social media users were with the behavior and Patel himself has since responded to the criticism.
The FBI director wrote in a post to X on February 23: « 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. »
It follows an earlier post which reads: « Unity, Sacrifice, Attitude- what it takes to be the best in the world. These men live and breathe it. Now Team USA are gold medal champions, legends standing on the shoulders of giants. Thank you for representing the greatest country on earth, in the greatest game ever created. congrats boys @ usahockey. »
Amber Glenn, who’s competing for Team USA in the Winter Olympics, has lifted the lid on the ‘scary amount of threats’ she’s received after expressing her beliefs prior to the Milano Cortina 2026 games.
The figure skater, who is pansexual, was asked at a press conference prior to the games how she felt about representing the LGBTQIA+ community in the Olympics.
Speaking to press on Wednesday, Glenn addressed the current state of affairs in the US, saying: « It’s been a hard time for the community overall in this administration. It isn’t the first time that we’ve had to come together as a community and try and fight for our human rights.
« And now, especially, it’s not just affecting the queer community, but many other communities. I think that we are able to support each other in a way that we didn’t have to before, and because of that, it’s made us a lot stronger. »The athlete went on to say she hopes to use her platform at the Winter Olympics to ‘encourage people to stay strong in these hard times’.
« I know that a lot of people say, ‘You’re just an athlete, like, stick to your job, shut up about politics,’ but politics affect us all, » she added to reporters, before stating it’s a topic she’s not going to stay silent on.
Glenn concluded: « It is something that I will not just be quiet about because it is something that affects us in our everyday lives. So, of course, there are things that I disagree with, but as a community, we are strong and we support each other, and brighter days are ahead of us. »
The 26-year-old ended up becoming a gold medallist on Sunday (February 8) after her team won the women’s free skating, but her victory was soured by ‘threats’ she’d received after speaking out about her beliefs. »When I chose to utilize one of the amazing things about the United States of America (freedom of speech) to convey how I feel as an athlete competing for Team USA in a troubling time for many Americans, I am now receiving a scary amount of hate/threats for simply using my voice when asked about how I feel, » she penned in an Instagram Story on Saturday (February 7).
« I did anticipate this, but I am disappointed by it.
« I couldn’t believe the outlandish backlash I received for just supporting people. Of course, I have people supporting me, and I’m not online right now because of it, but I’m gonna keep speaking my truth.
« I’m gonna keep representing what I believe in and what I think all Americans believe in, which is freedom and being able to love and do what you want. So, I just hope we can keep going forward and be positive. »
Glenn is not the only Team USA athlete to have spoken about representing Team USA in Italy, after Hunter Hess expressed ‘mixed emotions’ about representing the US.
Donald Trump was quick to respond to the skier, dubbing him a ‘loser’.
Lindsey Vonn has shared an emotional health update after she suffered a horrific skiing crash at the Winter Olympics on Sunday (February 8).
The Team USA star crashed just 13 seconds into her downhill session and was airlifted to hospital after sustaining a complex tibia fracture.
The crash, which came just a week after Vonn stated she had ruptured her ACL, led to the Olympian having to endure multiple surgeries in the days since.
Now, the 41-year-old has taken to Instagram to provide fans with an update on her health and what her road to recovery may entail.
In an emotional video, Vonn said: « Hey guys, just wanted to give a little update and say thank you so much to everyone that has been sending me flowers and letters and sharks, stuffed animals, it’s just been so amazing, and it’s really helped me a lot.
“It’s really been quite a hard few days in the hospital here. I’m finally feeling more like myself, but I have a long, long way to go. »The Olympian went on to say she’s having another operation on Saturday (February 14), and that she hopes she’ll be able to return home to continue her recovery soon after.
She did note that more surgeries would be needed in the future.
Vonn continued: « So I don’t know exactly what that entails yet until I get some better imaging, but that’s kind of where I am right now.
“I’m just in the hospital, very much immobile. But I have a lot of friends and family that have been coming up to visit, and as I said, the letters and notes and everything, flowers, have just been so incredible.
“The staff and medical team here have been amazing, so I feel very lucky and fortunate to have so many people around me who have helped me get through this.
“So I just want to say thank you and go Team USA, it’s been so great to watch and has really lifted my spirit, so good job team and keep crushing it. I’ll check with you guys when I can.”
It comes after a doctor warned Vonn’s type of injury could lead to amputation in some cases.
Dr Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet told RMC Sport: “The timeline is quite unpredictable. It will be months before she can walk normally again.
“Her goal now is first and foremost to keep her leg and be able to walk. I think we’re not yet at the stage of returning to high-level skiing. We’re not there yet, but some injuries like hers can end in amputation…”
The health expert referenced the Olympian’s updates online and how her life may be somewhat different heading into the future.
« The latest images posted on her Instagram account show that, even though the surgeries were successful, the ‘external fixator’ – that is, the enormous pin they put in her left leg – proves that they haven’t been able to fully repair her fracture, » the doctor added.
“It’s only temporary for now. It’s important to understand that her injury is extremely serious and will cause her problems for at least months, and could even leave her with lifelong consequences.”
22-year-old Gu, who was born in the US but is representing China in the Milano Cortina 2026, has a whopping five Olympic medals to her name.
She won two golds and one silver medal at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and has now added two more to her already impressive track record, taking home two silver in the women’s freeski slopestyle.
While Gu did not defend her gold medal in the freestyle skiing, the young Olympian was still smiling from ear-to-ear, and boasted to the press: « Five-time Olympic medallist kind of has a ring to it, right? »
Hell yeah it does.Speaking at a press conference on February 16 following her success, a sports reporter seemingly tried to rain on the ski star’s parade in a now-viral moment.
He asked: « Do you see these as two silvers gained or two golds lost? »
Laughing, Gu — who is reported to be the richest athlete at this year’s Games — replied: « I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself. »
She added: « How do I say this? Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete.
« Doing it five times is exponentially harder, because every medal is equally hard for me, but everybody else’s expectations rise, right? And so, the two medals lost situation, to be quite frank with you, I think is a kind of ridiculous perspective to take. »
Take a bow, Eileen Gu.
See the moment she was asked the question here:
The record-breaking skier has been widely applauded online for her reaction to the question, with one person saying her reply was ‘perfect’.
« She gave the perfect answer to a rude question trying to get a rise out of her, » somebody said on Reddit. « We’ve heard enough from you, sir. »
Another person raged: « F**king insulting question! She did well not to get super p*ssed, it’s essentially trying to erase the massive achievement of winning 2 silvers. »
« It was a rage-bait question that she didn’t bite on, and instead politely redirected back to the awesomeness of her sport while simultaneously lifting up her competitors, » a different person said, adding: « The reporter should feel the burn. »
Others defended the reporter’s line of questioning, however.
It was suggested: « This is a loaded question, but I don’t think it was asked with any ill intent–this question gets asked a lot of people who win silver. »
Meanwhile another person argued that it was ‘a fairly standard question that people get asked in sports’.
What do you think?
Ilia Malinin is set to take on the most difficult ice skating move in the Winter Olympics on Friday (February 13).
The Team USA star already made history at the Milano Cortina Winter Games by performing the first legal backflip on Olympic ice in 50 years.
Backflips were banned in 1976 after American skater Terry Kubicka landed the risky move at the Innsbruck Winter Games.
The ban remained in place for decades, though French skater Surya Bonaly famously performed an illegal backflip at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, receiving a deduction for it.
In 2024, the long-standing prohibition was finally lifted.
Now, Ilia has his sights set on another historic goal during the men’s free skate on Friday.
Ilia Malinin performed the first legal backflip in almost five decades (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)
Ilia Malinin performed the first legal backflip in almost five decades (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)
The 21-year-old is poised to perform a quad axel – a figure skating jump that requires the skater to complete four and a half rotations in the air before landing.
« I’m hoping that I’ll feel good enough to do it [on Friday], » he told reporters, via Fox News, earlier this week.
« But, of course, I always prioritize health and safety, so I really want to put myself in the right mindset where I’ll feel really confident to go into it and not have that as something that I’m going to risk. »
In Thursday’s practice, Ilia landed the move – which you can see for yourself below.
The men’s free skate takes place Men’s free skate between 1pm and 5.10 pm ET.
The athlete is the first and only to successfully land the quad axel in competition, earning himself the nickname ‘Quad God.’
He landed the complex rotation in September 2022 at the CS US International Figure Skating Classic when he was only 18 years old.
Ilia has pulled it off multiple times since, including at the 2025 Grand Prix Final.
The quad axel has been attempted by other athletes, too, including Japanese skater Yuzuru Hanyu at the 2021 Japanese Championships.
However the double Olympic champion couldn’t quite pull it off, under-rotating and landing on two feet, as Forbes reports.
He tried once again during the 2022 Olympic Games, but once again didn’t succeed. Hanyu retired later that year, having won two Olympic gold medals and seven world medals – but without being able to pull of the move.
So if Ilia lands it cleanly on Friday, it could cement his status as one of the sport’s most daring and technically gifted skaters ever.
No pressure, then!
