Bulwark Takes

Episode: Kash Patel’s Mile-High Meltdown
Date: November 3, 2025
Hosts: Tim Miller, Sam Stein, Will Sommer

Episode Overview

This episode dissects the scandal surrounding FBI Director Kash Patel’s use of the agency plane for a personal trip to watch his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, sing at a wrestling match. The Bulwark crew—Tim Miller, Sam Stein, and Will Sommer—dive into the incident’s implications for FBI morale, government priorities, allegations of favoritism, grudge-driven leadership, and the peculiar world of right-wing media, ultimately questioning the state of leadership and professionalism at the FBI.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Jet Set Scandal: Timeline and Fallout

• Background:

  • Kash Patel, now FBI director, flew on the agency’s private jet to State College, PA, to watch his girlfriend Alexis Wilkins sing the national anthem at a “Real American Freestyle Wrestling” match.
  • The flight itinerary (D.C. → State College, PA → Nashville, TN, where Alexis lives) was unearthed by Patel’s long-time critic Kyle Serafin, a former FBI agent.
  • Public outcry and press coverage followed, leading to the firing of Stephen Palmer—a 27-year FBI veteran overseeing the aviation unit.
  • Patel also pushed to have the agency jet’s flight tracking removed from public websites like FlightAware.

• Firing Fallout:

  • Palmer is the third head of the Critical Incident Response Group to be fired or removed during Patel’s brief tenure.
  • Hosts highlight a pattern of disarray and loss of experienced personnel.
  • “You would think the law and order administration would want to have good people around. It seems like now we're cycling through folks.” — Sam Stein (03:40)

• Motive for Removal:

  • Suggested that Palmer was fired not for authorizing the flight, but for failing to prevent public exposure or shield Patel.

2. Hypocrisy and Double Standards

• Patel had previously criticized the former director, Chris Wray, for allegedly misusing the FBI plane.
• Now repeats the same behavior (personal trips with agency resources), but reacts even more harshly when scrutinized.
• “On one hand you might say, well, maybe Cash shouldn't be taking 36 hour jaunts around the country just for personal reasons… In the past, before he was FBI director, Kash Patel was very critical of Chris Ray and saying, you know, this guy's just going off on these jaunts, he's misusing the plane. And now I think it's clear Cash sees that this is bad and that's why he has, he has had this reaction.” — Tim Miller (04:26)

3. Government Shutdown Optics & Excess

• The trip occurred during a government shutdown, making the optics especially poor.
• The jet made three legs — described as “excessive and problematic” for a government leader.
• “Good for Cash for seeing his girl… But he’s doing it in the midst of a government shutdown… For a college wrestling professional event? That, that seemed a little excessive.” — Will Sommer (05:18, 06:21)

4. The Comedic Side—‘Real American Freestyle’ Wrestling

• Much laughter about the low-profile wrestling event.
• “If you're desperate to see your girlfriend sing the national anthem for one minute and 48 seconds at the real American freestyle wrestling match… you could have somebody drive you.” — Sam Stein (07:21)
• Jokes about how the FBI director could have simply driven (3.5 hours) or sent his girlfriend an Uber, saving taxpayer money.

5. Alexis Wilkins: Influencer, Singer, “Alleged Mossad Agent”

• Wilkins is noted as an emerging right-wing personality and country singer, with past appearances on Fox Nation and Turning Point USA events.
• Strange subplot raised: right-wing conspiracy types (namely Serafin) have alleged Wilkins is a Mossad agent. Wilkins is suing for defamation.
• “Kyle Seraph has also brought up that Alexis Wilkins might be a Mossad agent… She is really hot and that's confusing.” — Sam Stein (09:13)
• The group pokes fun at the absurdity of this “allegation,” but notes it as part of the toxic stew of far-right infighting and gossip.

6. The Grudge Match: Patel vs. Serafin

• Patel is said to be obsessed with his critic, Kyle Serafin, going as far as encouraging others to sue and seeking legal retaliation.
• “Cash has been driven mad by this guy… basically, he really wants to get back at Kyle Serafin for constantly needling him.” — Tim Miller (10:01)
• Observations that such feuding distracts from actual FBI leadership duties.

7. Distraction Tactics: “Michigan Terror Plot”

• In the wake of the jet story, Patel announced a high-profile “Michigan terror plot” bust.
• Law enforcement insiders suggest that the case wasn’t ready, implying the announcement was rushed for PR.
• “Kyle Seraphin said you go in nuts. The indictments to take your, take the heat off of you for your Jet story.” — Will Sommer (11:12)

8. The Girlfriend’s Media Platform & Security Concerns

• Wilkins appears on One America News discussing terror threats, adding to the surrealism.
• “Are we getting our news from the FBI director’s girlfriend about terror threats?” — Tim Miller (11:51)
• Comparisons made with previous FBI directors’ spouses, highlighting the unprecedented situation.

9. The Conservative Influencer Circuit

• Wilkins’ growing presence at right-wing events (Turning Point USA, Fox Nation).
• The show connects the trip, her career trajectory, Patel’s influence, and right-wing media amplification as “a nice little circle of grift.”
• “You get the taxpayer funded plane, you get to sing at this wrestling match, you air it on Fox Nation. You sleep with the FBI director, you get, you get little tidbits, you get to say on one American news. And Alexis is working it, I will say.” — Sam Stein (13:23)
• Discussion of MAGA “creep” even at moderate Christian colleges like Belmont University, Wilkins’ alma mater.

10. Absurdity, Secrecy, and Accountability

• Patel’s reaction to the PR blowback was to have the government request that the FBI plane’s flights no longer be publicly tracked.
• “If he's mad about the disclosure of his travel, he should turn and look at his girlfriend who posted it on Instagram.” — Will Sommer (16:03)
• Jokes about him “not being able to fire the girlfriend” as he cycles through FBI aviation heads (16:20).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On government priorities:
  “It just doesn't feel like our eyes on the ball, you know.” — Sam Stein (10:16)

• On the cross-pollination of MAGA media:
  “It's kind of a nice little circular feedback loop of grift there.” — Sam Stein (13:23)

• On petty leadership:
  “We have an FBI director who like is just entrenched in the pettiest bullshit possible.” — Will Sommer (10:01)

• On the oddity of media disclosures by officials’ partners:
  “I don't remember Chris Wray's wife, you know, going on like Wayne's World style media programs to like talk about the threats that they're hearing about in the bedroom.” — Sam Stein (11:59)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Patel’s flight to wrestling event & Palmer’s firing: 02:45–04:26
• Hypocrisy and government shutdown context: 04:26–06:21
• Conspiracy rumors & Wilkins overview: 09:13–11:12
• Distraction via Michigan terror plot: 10:52–11:51
• Media appearances and culture of grift: 13:23–14:56
• Flight secrecy, Instagram, and jokes about firing the girlfriend: 16:03–16:27

Conclusion

This lively episode uses the Kash Patel travel scandal as a microcosm for today’s chaotic, performative political climate—where personal vendettas, optics, and right-wing influencer culture blend with official business, often to the detriment of governance and public trust. The hosts’ tone is irreverent, skeptical, and punctuated with inside jokes about the absurdity of current events, all while underscoring serious concerns about FBI leadership and priorities.