Lauren Boebert and Kash Patel (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert has brushed aside mounting concerns about FBI Director Kash Patel’s reported alcohol consumption, saying she personally witnessed him drink just one beer at a hockey game and compared it to her own casual drinking at such events.
“I don’t think I don’t know what Kash Patel does,” Boebert said when asked whether she was concerned about the FBI director’s drinking. “He says that he’s not drinking a lot. We saw one beer at a hockey game. I mean, I’ve had a couple of beers at a hockey game.”
The Colorado Republican’s comments came in response to a wave of April 2026 reports alleging that Patel had been drinking excessively, displaying erratic behavior, and taking frequent and unexplained absences from work raising questions about his fitness to lead one of the country’s most powerful law enforcement agencies.
The reports also revisited an earlier episode from February 2026, in which Patel was said to have consumed several beers while celebrating alongside the US Olympic men’s hockey team following their gold medal victory. That incident had already drawn scrutiny, but the more recent allegations have significantly intensified public and political pressure on the FBI director.
Boebert’s casual dismissal of those concerns did little to quiet critics. Her defense of Patel sparked an immediate and sharp backlash on social media, with many users pointing to her own history of headline-grabbing behavior most notably a 2023 incident in which she was asked to leave a Denver performance of the musical Beetlejuice following reports of inappropriate conduct during the show.
“She was also playing pocket rocket in the movies, so maybe she isn’t the best judge of character,” wrote one user online, referencing the incident. Not all responses were as cutting. Some observers took a more measured or even lighthearted view of Boebert’s remarks.
“I can’t stand her politics, but she seems like a fun time,” wrote one commenter. Another offered a more pointed observation: “I mean, she is right, we are taking the focus off the other goofy stuff he has done.”
That last comment touched on a broader concern among critics that the focus on Patel’s drinking may be overshadowing other substantive questions about his conduct and leadership at the FBI.
Patel has not publicly addressed the most recent round of allegations in detail, though he has previously denied claims of excessive drinking. For now, Boebert’s attempt to put the matter to rest appears to have done the opposite, keeping the story firmly in the spotlight and drawing renewed attention to both figures.
