CNN anchor Jake Tapper was shocked Monday by FBI Director Kash Patel's partying in the locker room with the gold medal-winning U.S. men's hockey team at the Olympics in Italy.
Tapper questioned what Patel was doing there — and exactly who was footing the bill. The move comes amid multiple high profile federal investigations.
"The FBI director's enthusiastic, beer-soaked celebration with Team USA at the Olympics in Milan. Does this count as official government business? And are you and I paying for it?" Tapper asked.
Tapper described how this wasn't the first time Patel has come under fire for using his taxpayer-funded jet for personal travel, including jet-setting with his girlfriend and country singer Alexis Wilkins.
"Believe it or not, that'syour FBI director, Kash Patel,celebrating with the U.S. men'shockey team after their overtimewin against Canada to win thegold medal. It was an incrediblewin that all Americans cancelebrate," Tapper said.
He also pointed out how the FBI had sharp words for a reporter just before Patel was caught in the video partying, which Patel later defended, saying the trip was planned months ago for him to meet with Italian law enforcement officials and the American ambassador to Italy.
"Now, why exactly the FBI director who you might think would be busy with all sorts of things, why he's in the locker room in Italy, seemingly pounding beers along with the team well, you can be forgiven if you're asking that question, especially after FBI spokesman Ben Williamson was lashing out at a reporter from a different network on Twitter the day before the game for asking whether Patel was going to attend the match," Tapper said. "The FBI spokesman writing, quote, 'your rag outlet wrote that he went to hang out at the Olympics on the taxpayer dime, even when provided information that your theory was false,' unquote. Now the FBI is denying this was a personal trip for Patel."