A report citing government emails says FBI Director Kash Patel took a “VIP snorkel” around the USS Arizona Memorial during a Hawaii trip.
FBI Director Kash Patel allegedly took a “VIP snorkel” around the sunken USS Arizona battleship during a trip to Hawaii last summer, according to a new report based on government emails.
The USS Arizona Memorial sits directly over the wreck of the battleship in Honolulu, where more than 900 sailors and marines remain entombed. The memorial is widely treated as both a historic site and a war grave, and the site’s rules reflect that dual status.
Ordinarily, swimming or snorkeling around the USS Arizona Memorial is not permitted. Access is generally limited to authorized professionals, such as National Park Service scientists and Navy divers, who conduct work tied to the memorial and the underwater environment.
The report says Patel received an “exclusive excursion” around the memorial area in what was described as a military-coordinated outing. It also notes that the excursion was not reflected in the FBI’s public news releases from Patel’s Hawaii visit.
Those releases, the report found, instead emphasized Patel’s tour of the FBI’s Honolulu field office and meetings with local law enforcement officials on the island.
The reported snorkel also appears to have been uncommon.. The report says former FBI directors have visited Pearl Harbor on official business. but that no director going back at least to 1993 had gone snorkeling at the memorial.. It also cites a former government diver who told the outlet—on condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution—that director-level access is unusual because the water activities carry physical risks and create security. safety. and logistical challenges.
AP’s reporters further described the Hawaii stop in the context of Patel’s broader travel. The snorkel visit was allegedly Patel’s second stop on the island, coming after a two-day return that followed an official trip to Australia and New Zealand.
The Hawaii account is now emerging amid renewed scrutiny of Patel’s use of government travel. The report notes criticism of his use of the FBI plane and global travel patterns that critics say blur professional responsibilities with leisure activities.
Patel has previously faced attention tied to trips on a government jet. including a flight to Italy that reportedly coincided with the Milan Winter Olympics.. That trip drew public controversy after scheduling details reportedly included two hockey games and periods described as “personal time. ” alongside scattered work-related meetings.
In addition, a video showing Patel after a hockey gold medal win—where he appears to be drinking and celebrating in a locker-room setting—also circulated online, adding to the broader debate over how government officials allocate time and how travel is carried out.
The alleged Pearl Harbor “VIP snorkel” raises fresh questions about who gets access to sensitive. restricted historic and military sites. and what role—if any—high-level officials should play in activities that are normally reserved for authorized professionals.. It also spotlights how gaps between official trip announcements and what emerges through government email records can complicate public accountability.
Kash Patel FBI Director Pearl Harbor USS Arizona Memorial snorkeling access government travel Hawaii trip
so he just went swimming at a gravesite basically
This is honestly disgusting to me. Those are real soldiers down there and he just turns it into like a vacation activity?? My grandfather served in the Pacific and if he was still alive he would be furious right now. You dont just go snorkeling at a war grave thats not something you do.
I mean look I get why people are mad but also wasnt Obama or somebody doing fancy trips all the time and nobody cared then. Not saying this is fine but the media only gets upset when its certain people doing stuff. Also I read somewhere that the Navy actually does let certain officials go in the water for inspections or whatever so maybe this was like an official thing and people are blowing it up for nothing. But yeah if he was just goofing around for fun at a grave then thats bad obviously. I just think we need more facts before everyone loses their minds over a headline about snorkeling.
Wait I thought Kash Patel was running the CIA not the FBI. Either way this is what happens when you put people in charge who dont respect the job, they treat everything like a perk. My cousin works federal government and says this kind of stuff happens way more than people know but it never gets reported on.