FBI Director Kash Patel is navigating the skies on a government jet, just like his predecessors, but with a fiscal twist that might just make taxpayers breathe a sigh of relief.
Under scrutiny for his travel habits since taking office in late February during the second Trump administration, Patel's flight logs from early March to early November reveal a pattern of official business with cost-saving measures, despite some raised eyebrows over personal trips.
Just The News reported that Patel, mandated by federal policy to use a government jet for security reasons—a rule set after the 9/11 attacks—has clocked 92 flights over 37 weeks, averaging about 2.48 trips weekly.
That’s a smidge less than James Comey’s 2.58 flights per week and a tad more than Christopher Wray’s 1.98, showing Patel’s not exactly burning rubber—or jet fuel—compared to history.
Yet, the chatter from left-leaning outlets like The Daily Beast and critics like Michael Isikoff suggests he’s joyriding on the taxpayer dime with trips to Nashville, Las Vegas, and State College, Pennsylvania.
Six flights to Nashville, where his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, resides, and ten to Las Vegas, where he reportedly owns a home, have fueled whispers, though many coincided with official stops or were short weekend jaunts.
Dig deeper, and the logs tell a different tale: Patel hit up nine FBI field offices from Miami to Minneapolis, attended twelve official events like a 9/11 memorial in New York City, and made six international trips, including to London and Asia.
He’s also shown up at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, six times for graduations, proving he’s not just racking up frequent flyer miles for kicks.
Of his trips, the FBI admits fourteen were purely personal and seven mixed business with pleasure, but they insist he reimburses costs upfront for personal jaunts, following strict federal rules.
Here’s where Patel gets a nod for thrift: unlike Comey and Wray, who often used pricey Reagan National Airport—costing millions more than alternatives—he’s opted for Manassas Regional Airport 23 times versus just 6 at Reagan.
The FBI claims this choice slashes expenses significantly, projecting long-term savings in the millions, a move that’s hard to argue with in an era of bloated government spending.
“This FBI has taken steps to dramatically reduce costs of Director travel, both official and personal,” said FBI spokesman Ben Williamson on X in late October, pointing out that government airfields are about 2.5 times cheaper.
Williamson didn’t hold back, either, calling criticisms of Patel’s travel “disingenuous and dumb” in another late October post on X, arguing the director works around the clock regardless of where he lands.
Still, Senate Democrats aren’t buying it, requesting a Government Accountability Office probe in May, while historical scrutiny of past directors like Wray—who faced heat for vacation timing during critical events—shows this isn’t a new rodeo.
Patel’s travel might not be the scandal some hope for, but in a political climate where every move is a lightning rod, his jet-setting, even if mostly for duty, keeps the spotlight on transparency and trust in leadership.
