FBI Director Kash Patel Sparks Backlash With “Valhalla” Tribute to Charlie Kirk Amid Shooting Investigation

FBI Director Kash Patel drew confusion and criticism Friday after he honored slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk with the phrase “See you in Valhalla” during a press conference announcing the arrest of suspect Tyler Robinson.

“To my friend Charlie Kirk: Rest now, brother. We have the watch. And I’ll see you in Valhalla,” Patel said while standing alongside Utah Governor Spencer Cox. The tribute raised eyebrows given that Patel, 45, was raised Hindu, and Kirk, 31, was a devout Christian who had never expressed belief in Norse mythology.

“Valhalla,” a concept from Norse legend, is often depicted as a warrior’s afterlife hall. It has also been adopted in American military culture, with phrases like “Until Valhalla” and “We have the watch” commonly used as sign-offs for fallen service members. Neither Patel nor Kirk had any military background.

Online, many questioned the tribute’s appropriateness. “Indian guy saying he’ll see a Christian in Valhalla is some confused theology,” one commenter wrote on X. Another added, “This is not the time or place to be cute.”

Robinson, 22, is accused of fatally shooting Kirk during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. He was ultimately turned in to authorities by a family member after eluding capture for days.

The investigation has been marred by missteps. Patel initially claimed the FBI had apprehended a suspect, only for agents to release the individual hours later upon realizing it was a mistake. The Bureau made a similar error earlier that same day, releasing another wrongly detained man.

Amid growing frustration, the FBI released security footage and offered a $100,000 reward before Robinson’s family came forward.

The case has added fuel to existing criticism of Patel’s leadership. On the same day Kirk was shot, three former senior FBI officials sued Patel, accusing him of firing them for refusing to bend to President Trump’s political demands. They alleged Patel, a former cigar seller, children’s book author, and MAGA podcaster, focused more on branding—such as handing out commemorative “challenge coins”—than on law enforcement.

Patel’s deputy, Dan Bongino, also a former podcaster and failed Senate candidate, has faced scrutiny for similar reasons. Both men have been criticized within pro-Trump circles over their handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, where they spent years promoting conspiracy theories but recently closed the investigation without releasing the so-called “Epstein files.”

The FBI has not yet responded to questions regarding Patel’s “Valhalla” tribute.