FBI Director Kash Patel was pictured in a pink Lego Cadillac ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday, amidst growing criticism over his personal trips and spending of taxpayer dollars.
Patel and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem were pictured in the life-size Lego car, as well as on the red carpet with Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali before the race, Reuters reported.
Although it was not immediately clear how either of the senior Trump officials had traveled to the event in Las Vegas, where Patel has a home, critics were quick to blast his previous use of public resources.
He reportedly used an FBI SWAT team to protect his country music star girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, and used a government jet for personal travel, including golf excursions and a trip with friends to a private resort in Scotland, the New York Times reported.
The elite agents assigned to protect Wilkins drew far-reaching criticism, including from conservatives, who questioned his use of resources.
“Is she considered Kash’s spouse?” Grace Chong, an influencer who works for Trump ally Stephen Bannon, wrote on X. “Is that why she’s getting protection because if not then why are we paying for this?”
Others expressed similar questions under the photo of Patel and Noem in the Lego car.
“How does this serve America?” one person wrote. Another chimed in, “They are the biggest fans of private jet use.”
“Priorities,” another user commented. “How about they LEGO of their government jobs and return to private life?”
Officials who spoke anonymously to the New York Times said that while Patel has his own security detail, which would protect Wilkins if they are traveling together, the singer getting assigned her own SWAT agents is unusual.
The highly specialized agents do not receive extensive training in VIP protection, which makes using SWAT teams a questionable choice, the sources said.
The officials also noted that the most important aspect of protecting VIPs is advanced planning, and that Patel’s reliance on agents sometimes appears to be more last-minute, according to the report.
The Independent has reached out to the FBI and Department of Justice for comment.
Patel’s use of these resources has also drawn criticism from former agents.
“There is no legitimate justification for this. This is a clear abuse of position and misuse of government resources,” Christopher O’Leary, a former senior FBI agent, told MS NOW. “She is not his spouse, does not live in the same house or even the same city.”
Patel’s time in office has been marked by a string of controversies, including the revelation that he used the FBI’s $60 million government plane to fly to a “date night” in Pennsylvania to watch Wilkins perform the national anthem.
The FBI director is required to use a government jet for travel, but is supposed to reimburse the feds for personal use. It was not immediately clear if the trip to Vegas was in a personal or professional capacity.
Patel defended his use of the jet in that instance on social media, claiming in a fiery post that his girlfriend had “done more for this nation than most will in ten lifetimes.”
“I’ve always said — criticize me all you want. But going after the people doing great work, my personal life, or those around me is a total disgrace,” he raged. “The disgustingly baseless attacks against Alexis — a true patriot and the woman I’m proud to call my partner in life — are beyond pathetic.
“She is a rock-solid conservative and a country music sensation who has done more for this nation than most will in ten lifetimes,” he continued. “I’m so blessed she’s in my life.
“Attacking her isn’t just wrong — it’s cowardly and jeopardizes our safety. My love of family will always be my cornerstone, and you will never tear that down or keep me from them.”
Noem has also been criticized on the subject of aviation.
Her department purchased two Gulfstream G700 luxury jets for top officials in deal worth about $172 million, prompting questions over how the agency paid for them and why it needed two.
According to records reviewed by The New York Times, the jets marketed by Gulfstream as offering “the most spacious cabin in the industry,” were bought for what a DHS spokesperson said was “a matter of safety.”
The spokesperson said in a statement that the department’s existing jet was more than 20 years old and “well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft.”
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