What The Hell America!

Patel has taken part in press conferences and public announcements of major law-enforcement developments since his confirmation. But he has also shown a flair for jetsetting. After the Gretzky appearance, The New York Times reported that Patel flew on Air Force One to Miami to attend a mixed martial-arts competition there. Patel, like Trump himself, is a fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship league, having attended multiple matches already as FBI director. He has even sought to incorporate it into the training regimen for prospective FBI agents.

CBS News reported recently that Patel’s government-funded travels have not only taken him back and forth from Vegas to D.C., in what might be the nation’s longest commute, but also on multiple jaunts to Nashville, Tennessee, where his girlfriend reportedly resides. Those Nashville trips have included official business as well—Patel visited the local FBI field office, for example—but also stretch the bounds of what is considered an acceptable use of official resources for a public employee.

To which I say: whatever. In the realm of alleged misconduct by Trump administration officials, using Justice Department jets to see one’s girlfriend may be the least malign. It would not even rank among the top five scandals involving Trump officials and airplanes over the last three months. This is not to excuse Patel’s actions, of course, but rather to contextualize them.