On Sunday, FBI Director Kash Patel released a promotional video celebrating himself and his team for successfully overseeing the World Cup, just hours after Spain was crowned the champion.
In a caption accompanying the video shared on his X account, Patel stated there were “ZERO major security incidents” during the 78 matches hosted in the U.S., hailing it as the “safest and most secure World Cup in history.”
“We organized the largest sporting event in the history of the world,” Patel declared in the video while discussing a tournament that was also hosted by Canada and Mexico.
The footage shows the FBI director disembarking from a private jet, waving to something or someone off-camera, and conversing with agents as the winner’s trophy is prominently displayed on a table nearby.
In the video, Patel is seen signing a World Cup poster and expressing gratitude to bureau officials as he tours a temporary base outside MetLife Stadium, the venue of the World Cup final on Sunday.
“The preparation and execution cannot be praised enough; it has been impeccable,” Patel concluded.
Patel’s commendation of the FBI staff comes amid several critical reports regarding his leadership of the bureau.
Accusations against him include excessive drinking and unexplained absences; arranging a taxpayer-funded security boost for his country singer girlfriend Alexis Wilkins; interfering with an investigation into an alleged terror plot at a White House UFC event; and participating in a “VIP snorkel” experience during a work trip to Hawaii.
Patel faced ridicule from critics on X, including Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of MeidasTouch Network, who wrote, “And the true hero of the World Cup is, of course … Kash Patel.”
One user mocked Patel for engaging in “performance theater” in the video, while another, Vanity Fair’s Washington correspondent Aidan McLaughlin, wrote that the “dramatic” promo video further demonstrated his participation in an “influencer administration.”
