Public flight schedules showed that Patel had traveled on a government jet to watch Wilkins sing the national anthem at a wrestling match at Pennsylvania State University on October 25, 2025, and that he had taken other trips to Nashville, where Wilkins lives, to visit her.
The New York Times also reported in February that in an unusual use of tactical forces, Patel had directed SWAT teams to serve as personal security for Wilkins at her concerts and public appearances, as well as to accompany her to hair appointments and other errands.
On “The Katie Miller Podcast,” Patel called reports that he was abusing government resources “outright falsehoods,” saying that he travels on the FBI plane because FBI directors are not allowed to fly commercial, and that he reimburses the government for personal travel in compliance with federal law.
“If I was actually abusing it, I would go see every one of her shows,” Patel said. “I think I get to like 15%.”
On the podcast, the couple also discussed the need for security due to death threats they have both received.
“Career investigators make the calls,” Patel said of Wilkins’ security. “They call the balls and strikes. They do the threat assessments, and they decide if and when she needs protection.”
When reached for comment, FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson referred Business Insider to the agency’s previous statements related to Patel’s travel and Wilkins’ security.
Williamson previously called criticisms of Patel’s travel “disingenuous and dumb” in an October 2025 post on X. He wrote that the FBI director reimburses personal travel in compliance with the Office of Management and Budget rules, is required to fly on government planes to maintain access to secure communications, and that Patel “has significantly limited personal travel — but he’s allowed to take personal time on occasion to see family, friends, or his longtime girlfriend.”
Regarding Wilkins’ security, Williamson told Business Insider that the FBI director “does not make the determination about protective detail.”
“Those considerations are made at the Department of Justice, which reviewed and approved,” he said. “Attorney General Blanche is already on record about this.”
Another FBI spokesperson referred Business Insider to the agency’s previous statement detailing the “hundreds of credible violent threats” that Wilkins receives.