FBI Director Kash Patel faces scrutiny over snorkeling trip at USS Arizona and misuse of government resources
Consensus Summary
FBI Director Kash Patel is under intense scrutiny for participating in a snorkeling excursion near the USS Arizona memorial in Hawaii in August 2025, where over 1,000 US Navy sailors and Marines are entombed. The trip, described as a 'VIP snorkel' in government emails, lasted 30 minutes and included nine other individuals, with Patel invited by Admiral Samuel J. Paparo Jr. of the US Indo-Pacific Command. Both the FBI and Navy have defended the trip as a routine historical tour, though critics, including a navy veteran, have called it disrespectful. Patel’s use of government resources for personal travel, including a $35,000-$50,000 private suite for a concert in Philadelphia and a $1 million annual security detail for his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, has drawn bipartisan criticism. The FBI has stated Patel reimburses the government for private trips, but his actions have led to an exodus of agents and lawsuits, raising questions about ethical breaches and the prioritization of personal perks over national security responsibilities.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Kash Patel, FBI Director, participated in a snorkeling excursion around the USS Arizona memorial in Hawaii in August 2025 during a two-day stop as he returned from official visits to Australia and New Zealand.
- The snorkeling trip lasted 30 minutes, with Patel swimming in the vicinity of the USS Arizona, which holds the remains of over 1,000 US Navy sailors and Marines who died at Pearl Harbor in 1941.
- Nine other people joined Patel on the snorkeling trip, which was coordinated by the military and described in government emails as a 'VIP snorkel'.
- Admiral Samuel J. Paparo Jr., head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, invited Patel to Pearl Harbor.
- The Navy confirmed that all participants received a safety briefing, including rules not to touch or come into contact with the USS Arizona, and were briefed on the site's historic significance.
- Patel visited the FBI’s Honolulu field office during his trip to Hawaii.
- Patel and his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, traveled to Philadelphia on the FBI’s Gulfstream V jet in May 2025 to attend a George Strait and Chris Stapleton concert in a private suite costing between $35,000 and $50,000.
- Wilkins has received a full-time security detail costing approximately $1 million annually, including four SWAT agents and two SUVs, despite no precedent for such protection for a non-official family member of an FBI director.
- Patel has faced bipartisan criticism for blending leisure travel with official business, including using government jets for personal trips and instructing FBI employees to accommodate his girlfriend.
- The FBI has stated Patel reimburses the government for private trips at the cost of economy travel, though he has made side trips during official travel.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The FBI spokesperson accused the Associated Press of 'attempting to spin an invitation from the Commanding General of the Indo-Pacific Command to a military base as a party or vacation, which is so stupid'.
- Former FBI Director James Comey commented on CNN that he never snorkeled at Pearl Harbor and emphasized the responsibility of the FBI director's role.
- The FBI said Patel had been invited to Pearl Harbor by Adm Samuel J Paparo Jr, who is the head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, and that the visit was part of his public national security engagements.
- The Navy spokesperson confirmed that VIP 'tours' near the USS Arizona were common, though they declined to say how often they take people snorkeling.
- Marine archaeologists and National Park Service crews occasionally dive at the memorial to monitor the wreck’s condition, and other dives have been conducted to inter the remains of surviving USS Arizona crew members.
- A former government diver told the AP that past participants in snorkeling tours have included navy admirals, defense secretaries, and interior secretaries.
- William M. McBride, a navy veteran and professor emeritus of history at the US Naval Academy, called the snorkeling trip 'horrifying' and compared it to playing kickball on Arlington National Cemetery.
- The article includes interviews with over a dozen current and former FBI and law enforcement agents, who spoke anonymously due to fear of retribution or lack of authorization.
- The FBI took steps to investigate a New York Times reporter for an article about Patel’s provision of government travel and security for Wilkins, but the Justice Department determined there was no legal basis to proceed.
- Patel has spurred an exodus of bureau employees, with field offices in multiple cities struggling to fill empty slots.
- Patel brought Wilkins to a closed-door meeting in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on combating fentanyl trafficking, where she sat at the head of the table with top FBI officials.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states that the USS Arizona holds the remains of over 1,000 sailors and Marines, while The Age states it holds the remains of over 900.
- The Guardian mentions that Patel visited the FBI’s Honolulu field office earlier in the trip, while The Age does not specify the timing of this visit.
- The Guardian notes that the FBI spokesperson denied Patel berated agents over security arrangements for Wilkins, while The Age includes anonymous sources claiming Patel berated an official for questioning the ethics of the security detail.
Source Articles
Kash Patel faces scrutiny over snorkeling outing at USS Arizona memorial in Hawaii
FBI director reportedly took a snorkel excursion at site containing remains of more than 1,000 navy sailors and marines The FBI director, Kash Patel, is facing new scrutiny following reports that he participated in a snorkeling excursion around the USS Arizona during a trip to Hawaii last summer. The outing was first reported this week by the Associated Press, which obtained government emails describing the excursion as a “VIP snorkel” around the USS Arizona – the site that holds the remains of
Kash Patel’s ‘horrifying’ VIP snorkel next to sacred US military site
The FBI director continues to come under scrutiny for mixing government business with dates, holidays and leisure time.