The Rumor About Kash Patel & His Age Gap Girlfriend That Further Soured His Reputation

FBI Director Kash Patel has spent a considerable amount of time with his much younger girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, sparking criticism about whether he is an effective leader of the investigative bureau. Fueling the vitriol, Patel's use of taxpayer-funded perks to aid his relationship came into question. In November 2025, he was under fire after issuing a SWAT detail for Wilkins — whom he began dating in 2023 — before the country singer performed at a National Rifle Association convention, according to The New York Times. Security personnel left once they confirmed that Wilkins wasn't in danger, and Patel reportedly berated them for leaving before the event was over.

Less than one month later, Patel was caught providing another team of security to protect his girlfriend, whom he called a "country music sensation" while addressing social media users attacking her on X (formerly Twitter). According to sources who spoke to MS Now in December 2025, Patel instructed agents to drive Wilkins' friend home after a night of drinking in Nashville, which reportedly happened at least twice. Former senior FBI agent Christopher O'Leary told the outlet, "Not only is the assignment of FBI SWAT personnel to a security detail to protect his girlfriend inappropriate, directing these highly trained professionals to babysit his girlfriend's friend is outrageous, and demonstrative of Kash Patel's complete lack of judgment and integrity."

If his reputation wasn't already on the line, Kash Patel was also scrutinized for using the FBI's jets to ensure that he was an attentive boyfriend. Democrats began looking into Patel's air travel on the government-issued transportation in early 2025, after it was discovered that the FBI head was frequently flying to visit Alexis Wilkins. In December, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee commenced their investigation into the miles he logged in the sky, arguing in a letter obtained by CBS News detailing his October 2025 flights to Pennsylvania with Wilkins, "Your 'date night' had no apparent connections to your official duties." But Patel asserted that the speculation about his abuse of taxpayer-funded resources wasn't true.

During Patel and Wilkins' December 2025 appearance on "The Katie Miller Podcast," Patel addressed the concern that he was wasting funds on rendezvous with his girlfriend. "It's ironic that they're saying, 'Oh, you're going on vacation,' or, 'You're going to see your girlfriend perform.' And if I was actually abusing it, I would go see every one of her shows. I think I get to like 15 percent." Wilkins chimed in, saying that she is the one who does most of the traveling to see Patel in Washington. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, FBI directors are required to travel on government aircraft, but need to refund the government for personal travel, which Patel claimed he did on Katie Miller's podcast.