Country singer and commentator Alexis Wilkins is set to perform at the Great American State Fair kickoff in Washington, D.C., as Freedom 250 celebrations begin. After a social media user questioned whether her relationship with FBI Director Kash Patel links he
By the time the Great American State Fair kickoff arrives on the National Mall, Alexis Wilkins will already be facing the question that won’t go away: whether her profile grew from connections—or from her own work.
Wilkins, a country music singer and political commentator, is scheduled to perform on Wednesday, June 24, in Washington, D.C., at the kickoff for The Great American State Fair. The event is part of President Donald Trump-backed Freedom 250 celebrations marking a milestone birthday for the nation.
The pushback started after content creator Sara Higdon took to X to ask whether “having the FBI director’s girlfriend is getting paid by taxpayers to perform” violates federal ethics law. Wilkins responded in a lengthy post saying the concerns were based on what she called a misunderstanding—and she framed her booking as something she earned. not something she received.
“Get a few things straight, because this is long overdue,” Wilkins wrote. “I have been a country music artist for years now. I have had a successful career in both music and commentary/strategy. People don’t get to negate that for clicks or headlines. I was invited to sing this anthem on my own accord. as I have been many other places throughout my career.”.
She then addressed the core accusation directly. Wilkins said she did not accept payment to perform at the event. She also argued that Freedom 250 is a fundraising arm that does not rely on taxpayer dollars. The White House has described the effort as a “public-private partnership.”
“Neither UFC nor any National Mall celebrations are ‘taxpayer funded’ (you would think. as a journalist. this would be something she would know or at least look into). ” Wilkins wrote. “I’m no longer accepting false narratives and total sham accusations that diminish my hard work and earned accomplishments. so please expect this kind of response to continue.”.
Her schedule extends beyond Washington. Wilkins is also slated to perform at a Freedom 250 event in Brussels on June 28, where the Zac Brown Band will headline.
The dispute lands in the middle of heightened scrutiny around Patel’s security arrangements involving Wilkins. Patel faced questions in February after The New York Times reported that he provided unprecedented security for his girlfriend using FBI resources. including tactical agents and rotating SWAT teams. The newspaper reported that FBI personnel accompanied Wilkins to a resort in the UK. a hair salon appointment in Nashville. and to an event where she sang to young conservatives in Ronald Reagan’s hometown. Dixon. Illinois.
On a Dec. 16 episode of The Katie Miller Podcast, Patel addressed the allegations by saying Wilkins has faced multiple threats. “She’s been subject to multiple death threats, not just one,” Patel said. He added that law enforcement decisions about her protection are made through standard processes rather than deference because he is the FBI director. “We’re not going to treat Alexis any different under law enforcement purposes just because I’m the director of the FBI Career investigators make the calls. they call the balls and strikes. they do threat assessments. and they decide if and when she needs protection.”.
Wilkins and Patel have been dating since early 2023, according to People. In February 2025. she posted an Instagram photo of herself standing by Patel as he was sworn in as Trump’s FBI director. writing. “looks like the USA is going to be okay. God bless the men and women in blue who serve this nation who will be making America safe again.”.
The human thread running through all of this is the same one critics and supporters keep circling: Wilkins says she was invited and is not being paid, while her relationship to the FBI director keeps turning every booking into a public test of ethics, security, and influence.
Wilkins has also laid out her background beyond the headlines. She was born in Boston. She spent much of her childhood living in London and Switzerland before moving to Arkansas. A graduate of Nashville’s Belmont University, she has performed at politically conservative events. In February. she performed the national anthem at the National Religious Broadcasters summit in Nashville at a keynote event that also included Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Alexis Wilkins Kash Patel Freedom 250 Great American State Fair National Mall Washington D.C. federal ethics law taxpayer funded country music Brussels Zac Brown Band FBI security
So wait she says she wasn’t paid with taxpayer money… but who even verifies that.
Freedom 250 is fundraising right? Sounds like semantics. If Kash Patel’s involved, that’s still a conflict of interest to me.
I’m confused, like are they saying she got invited or she got paid? Because “public-private partnership” is the same thing as them paying you but with a fancy label. Also isn’t Kash Patel like… her boyfriend? That alone feels shady.
Not gonna lie, I didn’t even read all of it, I just saw “FBI director girlfriend” and went nope. Even if she says she earned it, the timing and connections matter. People can say “not taxpayer dollars” but it still comes from some rich donors or something and then they call it ethics like that fixes it. This whole Freedom 250 thing is gonna keep being a mess.