Milan, Italy - FBI Director Kash Patel recently went on the defense after he was caught on video partying with the US men's Olympic hockey team after their win over Team Canada.

On Saturday night, ProPublica reporter William Turton shared a video on X that appeared to show Patel chugging a beer and jumping around enthusiastically in celebration with the team after their victory.

The FBI director received heavy backlash, with many critics arguing that he was partying on the taxpayer's dime.

Patel, who has faced similar allegations before, responded by sharing an X post defending his right to do so.

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"For the very concerned media – yes, I love America and was extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys," Patel wrote.

"Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth," he added, along with a handful of emojis.

According to MS Now, eight former FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) officials leaked the video because it was "drawing outrage" among their colleagues.

Leading up to the videos being released, FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs Ben Williamson repeatedly insisted that Patel's trip was "not a personal trip" and chided outlets for suggesting otherwise.

Critics have compared Patel's alleged abuse of power to that of former FBI director William Sessions, who in 1993 became the first director to be fired for taking personal trips for himself and his wife.