Overview
- During Wednesday’s Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers said the FBI chief should be out of the locker room and called the scene a bad look.
- Videos from Feb. 22 showed Patel drinking beer and celebrating with Team USA after its gold-medal win over Canada, including on Dylan Larkin’s Instagram Live.
- Patel defended his presence in a Feb. 22 post on X, saying he was invited by friends on the team and was extremely humbled to join the celebration.
- Following reports alleging he used an FBI jet for the trip, spokesperson Ben Williamson said the travel was official and included meetings with Italian law enforcement, a U.S. consulate briefing on Olympic security, and visits with FBI personnel.
- Broader backlash has continued, with media segments amplifying reactions and Epstein accuser Dani Bensky publicly questioning Patel’s priorities at a Democratic Women’s Caucus news conference.