Kash's Jet Extravaganza
Hey, you don’t need a government-funded G5 jet so you can fly off to the Adirondacks for vacation.— Kash Patel
FBI Director Kash Patel’s frequent use of taxpayer-funded FBI jets for personal travel has drawn criticism.
People magazine reported that in late October 2025, Patel used a $60 million FBI Gulfstream jet to fly to State College, Pennsylvania. There, he watched his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, sing the national anthem at a Penn State wrestling event. Flight records show the jet then flew to Nashville, Tennessee, where Wilkins lives.
During Patel’s first month in office, the jet flew to Nashville on four occasions.
On a podcast, Patel had criticized his predecessor, Christopher Wray, saying “hey, you don’t need a government-funded G5 jet so you can fly off to the Adirondacks for vacation.” He also said the FBI should “ground Chris Wray’s private jet that he pays for with taxpayer dollars to hop around the country,” according to the Associated Press.
Since taking office, Patel has traveled by government aircraft to a luxury hunting resort in Texas (during a government shutdown), a golf resort in Scotland, a UFC event in Las Vegas, and the Milan Winter Olympics, where he joined the U.S. men’s hockey team in its locker room. He can be seen celebrating professionally here.
After reports about the Penn State trip, Patel fired a veteran FBI official who oversaw the agency’s fleet. The trip was already public however: Kash's girlfriend had posted a photo of the two on X.