FBI Director Kash Patel flew to Italy aboard a government aircraft on 19 February 2026 to attend the final rounds of the men's ice hockey tournament at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, a trip whose estimated £58,000 ($75,000) cost to American taxpayers has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers and the public alike.
The journey, which public flight data confirmed originated at Manassas, Virginia, before a brief stop at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, landed Patel in northern Italy just in time for both the bronze medal match on Saturday and the gold medal game on Sunday, in which Team USA defeated Canada.
