Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, has forcefully condemned a New York Times report that claimed she held another man's hand following the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. The incident occurred at the Washington Hilton last Saturday night.
Wilkins Denies Allegations
In an interview with the Daily Mail published Wednesday, Wilkins deemed the reporting 'salacious' and blasted The New York Times for their 'weird refusal to fully admit they were wrong.' She stated, 'I was only ever holding Kash's hand; anything to suggest otherwise is false.'
Wilkins added, '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.'
NYT's Updated Report
The Times has updated its live blog post 'to provide additional context,' clarifying that the man holding Wilkins' hand 'appeared to be a member of a security detail.' However, Wilkins told the Daily Mail she and Patel were not in separate holding rooms and that she 'never held anyone's hand.'
She expressed frustration, saying, 'To make it about something salacious was really... talk about trauma. I thought to myself, 'Are you kidding?' You don't even have time to process it, because something's coming out about you holding hands with someone.'
Social Media Response
Wilkins further doubled down on her claims in a post on X, writing, 'NYT knew it, but they were committed to printing a story that's implication would look bad - and was 100% false. We weren't 10 minutes out from an attempt on our great [president's] life, and NYT reporting was more worried about creating something negative about me. Makes you wonder if anything they report is accurate?'
NYT Stands by Report
The New York Times is standing by its report. A spokesperson stated, '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. This reporting was published in a live blog Saturday night, and was updated for additional context to readers.'
Background on Media Scrutiny
Patel, 46, and Wilkins, 27, have been the subject of intense media scrutiny. In November, Patel faced criticism over reports that he arranged for Wilkins, a country musician, to be escorted by SWAT team members for protection. In February, the FBI opened an investigation into Times reporter Elizabeth Williamson over her reporting on Wilkins' security detail, which the Times' executive editor deemed 'unconstitutional.'
