Country Singer Alex Wilkins Slams New York Times for ‘Sick’ White House Shooting Coverage

At the recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a terrifying shooting scare unfolded when an armed man rushed a security checkpoint, forcing President Trump and government officials to be evacuated and reporters to hide behind overturned tables. Among the attendees was country singer Alex Wilkins, who has now publicly condemned a New York Times report about her actions during the incident.

The Times reported that Wilkins was seen holding hands with someone other than FBI Director Kash Patel, her boyfriend of three years, during the chaos. Wilkins vehemently denies this claim, telling the Daily Mail, “I was only ever holding Kash’s hand; anything to suggest otherwise is false.” She accused the Times of exploiting the traumatic moment for political purposes, saying, “It is sick for the New York Times to have used this time after a perceived shooting as a political tool.”

The New York Times defended its reporting to The Independent, stating that its journalist accurately described Wilkins sheltering in a room while holding a security officer’s hand during the emergency.

This dispute comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Patel’s conduct as FBI Director. The Times recently revealed that Patel reportedly used FBI resources to investigate one of its reporters after the journalist covered Patel’s provision of a security detail for Wilkins. That detail is reportedly staffed by elite agents normally assigned to the FBI’s Nashville SWAT team.

An FBI spokesperson told The Hill that Wilkins has faced hundreds of credible death threats related to her relationship with Patel, justifying the protective detail. However, the use of SWAT members for her security has raised eyebrows. Patel and Wilkins do not live together, nor in the same city, which some former FBI officials say makes the detail highly irregular.

“There is no legitimate justification for this,” said former senior FBI agent Christopher O’Leary. He noted that other individuals under threat — including those targeted by foreign adversaries like Iran — have had their security details reduced, while Wilkins receives elite protection.

This episode highlights a troubling pattern of FBI politicization and misuse of federal resources under Patel’s leadership. From weaponizing investigations against journalists to deploying specialized agents for a director’s girlfriend, the scandal deepens. Wilkins’ sharp rebuttal of the Times coverage adds another layer to a story that is as much about power and privilege as it is about a shooting scare.

We will keep tracking this story as it develops, exposing the ways in which the Trump-era FBI leadership bends rules and shields insiders while undermining public trust.