The U.S men’s hockey team won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, beating Canada – their first win since 1980. And of course, the American players celebrated in full force: spraying champagne, dancing in the locker room, drinking beer, and cheering. Among those joining the festivities was an unlikely guest, the FBI Director. A moment that quickly went viral and later drew a sharp response from Aaron Rodgers.

During an appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers shared his thoughts on the celebration. “Can we get that one guy out of the locker room though and get him working on something else?” Rodgers quipped. “That’s a bad look. Have some awareness.”

Many interpreted this as a jab suggesting Kash Patel focus to be on the Epstein files instead of partying with the team. While Rodgers didn’t mention Patel by name on air but the context, timing, and laughter made it clear to listeners who he meant.

Well, Patel’s appearance in the locker room is not a big deal, but it still raised eyebrows because critics argued that, as the head of the FBI, he should have maintained a more reserved role during the post-game celebration. But at the same time, Patel made sure to defend his presence

“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- Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth,” Patel wrote on X.

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He also clarified that his trip to Italy included official duties, meeting with Italian law enforcement to help ensure extra security for American athletes and the 250,000 U.S. fans who traveled to Milan.

But at the same time, President Donald Trump was reportedly displeased with Patel’s conduct during the Olympic celebrations. Sources told AF Post that Trump criticized Patel for his locker room partying. Interestingly, these revelations came amid a period when President Donald Trump himself faced scrutiny in the locker room.

Donald Trump’s locker room call sparks debate over Women’s recognition

After the U.S. men’s hockey team won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, a video captured the team on speakerphone with Trump. He congratulated the players and invited them to attend his State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. Near the end of the call, Trump joked that he would “have to bring the women’s team too, you do know that… I do believe I probably would be impeached” if he didn’t include them.

The comment drew laughter from several players, a reaction that quickly went viral. Many saw it as dismissive toward the women’s team, who had also just won gold. But at the same time, the women’s team did receive an invitation to attend the State of the Union but declined, citing “timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments” after the Games.  But this was not the only reason for declining the invitation.

Olympic champion Hilary Knight weighed in, calling the joke “distasteful and unfortunate” and noting that remarks like this could overshadow the women’s team’s accomplishments, even when both teams had historic victories. At the same time, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman also addressed the controversy and  called criticism of the men’s team “unfortunate.”

He said: “What happened and how it was portrayed, I wish didn’t happen the way it did, and I think it was unfair to the men’s team. And again I don’t think the women’s team had a different view of it. I mean look at (U.S. women’s captain) Hilary Knight and the others talking about what happened. These two teams respected each other.”

In the end, it clearly showed that in moments of celebration, words are closely watched, and respect is shown both on and off the ice