Kash Patel’s Girlfriend Denounces ‘Sick’ NYT Report Claiming She Held Stranger’s Hand During White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting

The chaos at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner took a new twist when FBI Director Kash Patel’s girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, publicly condemned a New York Times report suggesting she was holding the hand of a man other than Patel during the panic sparked by gunfire at the event.

The Times initially published a live blog during the incident, which included a claim that Wilkins was seen holding hands with a security officer in a private holding room after shots rang out. This report was later edited following Wilkins’ vehement denial and widespread criticism.

“I was only ever holding Kash’s hand; anything to suggest otherwise is false,” Wilkins told the Daily Mail. “It is sick for the New York Times to have used this time after a perceived active shooting as a political tool. They will stop at nothing to push a narrative out that’s damaging to people they’ve determined they dislike.”

A New York Times spokesperson defended the original reporting, stating, “A Times journalist on the scene of the Correspondents’ Dinner accurately reported during the breaking news events of the evening, including Ms. Wilkins’ sheltering in a room while holding a security officer’s hand.” The spokesperson also noted the story was updated to provide more context for readers.

The shooting incident itself was a serious security breach. Cole Allen, a 31-year-old from California, managed to bypass security at the Washington Hilton Hotel and fired at least one shot before being detained. He never reached the ballroom where the dinner was held. Allen has been charged with attempted assassination of the president and two weapons offenses.

This episode comes amid growing scrutiny of Patel’s tenure at the FBI, where critics accuse him of politicizing the bureau and using it as a tool against political opponents. Last week, the New York Times revealed that the FBI investigated one of its reporters, Elizabeth Williamson, for allegedly breaking federal stalking laws after she reported on Patel’s use of bureau resources to provide Wilkins with security and transportation.

The FBI reportedly expressed concern about “aggressive reporting techniques” crossing stalking lines but ultimately declined to pursue charges. The New York Times’ executive editor Joseph Kahn condemned the investigation as “a blatant violation of Elizabeth’s First Amendment rights and another attempt by this administration to prevent journalists from scrutinizing its actions.” He called it “alarming,” “unconstitutional,” and “wrong.”

The pattern is clear: Patel’s FBI is weaponizing federal law enforcement powers to intimidate journalists and shield its own from accountability. Meanwhile, the media is caught in a crossfire of misinformation and politically charged narratives, as seen in the botched reporting around the Correspondents’ Dinner shooting.

As the Trump administration’s loyalists continue to erode democratic norms and attack press freedom, stories like this highlight the urgent need for vigilance and resistance against authoritarian overreach. We will keep tracking these abuses and holding power to account.