FBI Director Kash Patel & Alexis Wilkins on Balancing Their Relationship with Work | KMP Ep.19

24:11Katie Miller:What countries are they coming from? DPRK, Russia, China, Iran. Our domestic terrorism arrests this year alone are up 30 percent. So when people are hitting us saying you're not doing enough for domestic terrorism, we're actually doing a lot more. And then there's the work that just doesn't get noticed. And I mentioned it earlier. The work we're doing against child predators online, these sycophants that are preying on children as young as 8, 9, 10, and 11 years old and causing them to commit suicide and mutilate themselves and do animal crushing and all these other disgusting things. those cases the rest are up 20 and 30 percent alone and so the bureau is doing that work across the country and we try to showcase it as often as we can because i think that's what the american public wants to see and i believe that that's what president trump was voted into office to deliver and he's delivering it and if they focused on that rather than us um you know maybe more people would see the great work that we're doing but um it's not going to stop and so neither are we So you were one of President Trump's first picks, I feel like, to be the FBI director.

25:13Earlier picks. Yeah.

25:16Katie Miller:How did that all come together? Did you know you always wanted to be the FBI director? No. I think Katie Miller had a lot to do with it. But I was sitting in our friend's house in Florida. We were all doing all the transition work. And so actually, I think as I remember it, I was one of the last agency heads he appointed. And I was sitting in the living room and I got the call and you can imagine my reaction. And then I immediately called my parents and I called Alexis. And then I hung up and then the president put out a truth. And then I think I got 3 ,500 messages in the next 10 hours. So we briefly talked about the beginning, but like what's something stepping into being the FBI director in terms of actually running the day-to-day operations that you had no idea about, even knowing how much you knew, having previously investigated the FBI?

26:12I think the amount of resource restraints we were under severely prohibited us from taking care of the workforce that was actually doing the job. We've had no problem getting rid of people who failed the mission, and we've done that, and we're going to continue to do that. But I think the fact that you had a prior administration who supposedly was the one telling us we're weaponizing the FBI when they did Russiagate and so many other things. And so when we came in, we said, anyone that weaponized the Bureau is not going to be a part of the Bureau anymore. But I think the hardest part was, the irony was, the Biden administration, who said the FBI was beloved, they reduced their budget year over year over year over year.

27:02And then President Trump came in, thankfully, and said, look, we got to reorganize that place. We got to keep the people that matter. We got to recruit better people. And we have to have leadership in there that doesn't bend to the whims of the media. And that's been the hardest part for the deputy and I, navigating that landscape. But I think we've done it incredibly well, especially with the results we're having. We are literally having the best year the FBI has ever had.

27:27Katie Miller:Is there been one moment where you're like, you can't make this at birth? This would be like a TV show if it was. I think it's like every day.

27:38There was a pretty funny incident in the Oval maybe a couple of weeks ago. I was there with the president and a couple of members of the law enforcement teams and the press secretary, Caroline Levitt, came in and she said, hey, Mr. President, Cash, MSNBC or whatever outlet is saying you're going to fire Cash. And me and the president just started laughing in the Oval Office at the same time. And the president, of course, in his amazing manner, stands up and says, well, let's put out a truth. And he goes, no, let's stand before the Declaration of Independence, do a photo. And Caroline, you put out a great truth saying Cash is doing a great job and he's not going anywhere.

28:18I mean, that's literally stuff you can't make up, right? We're out there having, we have 27 ,000 arrests of violent felons this year. That's twice as many as last year alone. Four top ten arrests, right? Our work against those that prey on our children in our communities is up 510 % for those that are child predators online and in the communities. I mean, these are just certain examples of how hard the Bureau is working because the president's given us the resources. So we both found that moment wildly comical and probably something you couldn't have ever scripted.

28:48Katie Miller:Is there any case that you regret the way it's been handled or how the media has picked it up since you've been the FBI director? I think the media has handled almost every case differently since I've been the FBI director. And that's disheartening because it takes away from the people doing the work. The great thing is when I go across the country and I meet the agents across the country and our analysts and our support staff, And I would meet the cops across the country. Like this week, I just did a graduation of 255 police officers through our academy at Quantico. Everybody loves this administration, and they are saying that they have never been supported in the way that they've been being supported now.

29:28And the reason we showcase their work constantly is because we want the American public to know it. I mean, you would think if you had arrested four top 10 most wanted fugitives in nine months, people would be happy that you took off a murderer, an MS-13 gang leader, you know, a child predator and got the Abbey Gate bomber and all these other things. But it's because under the Trump administration, we're doing it and I'm doing it at the FBI. They see reason to hit it. And since they can't successfully with the facts, they hit us.

29:59Katie Miller:This holiday season, families and small businesses are feeling the squeeze. While local shopkeepers struggle under billions in credit card swipe fees that raise prices on groceries, gas and more, big credit card companies brag to Wall Street that inflation is good for business as they undermine President Trump's winning economy. Everyday Americans are footing the bill. It's time to stop hidden fees and big bank greed. Senator Marshall's plan to make credit cards compete is the America first solution we need. This ad is paid for by the Merchants Payments Coalition. So take me back. So you're in college.

30:31Katie Miller:Where did you go to school? I went to Belmont University in Nashville for business and political science. Did you know you always wanted to be a singer? I honestly, it's a longer story, but I started writing to like writing music to raise money for an organization that I believed in. And it was explained to me that you can do something you love to raise funds and awareness for something that you believe in and want to help with. And so I said, great, when I was really young and wrote a song. And it's kind of that thing where something that's a hobby turns into the thing that you do. Didn't you write it when you were like eight?

31:04Yeah. Okay. Yeah. It just kind of... So early. Yeah. It kind of just turned into it. My parents are lovely, not musical. They're both in business. So they're kind of like, wait, this is great. This is the hobby that you like doing. Entertainment industry is scary. What do we do? but incredibly supportive and it just kind of all snowballed. And by the time I was in high school and through to college, I was touring full time.

31:30Katie Miller:So when you graduated, you were already touring. And then you picked up advocacy, especially in the political realm, around that time in college from what you were seeing on college campuses. Yeah. So I was already working. It's kind of twofold. I was working with veterans and veterans organizations because I saw that there was a huge issue with that, with, you know, kind of leans in the political thing, as we kind of all know, where the entertainment industry is not super friendly sometimes with those causes. You know, I was told that I should stop working with veterans organizations or that I should take an American flag out of my Instagram bio, like these very silly things that are really not partisan at all.

32:12Veterans, veteran causes should never be partisan. But I was I was working on all that stuff. And And then it kind of became an entertainment industry issue where they started making those comments. You need to endorse this person. You need to donate to this PAC. And they were all left-leaning at the same time as I was going through it on college campus and was dealing with professors that were adversarial and dealing with just the institution in general. And so from there, I kind of decided, you know, look, I believe this. I feel like I can communicate this. I feel like other students are going through this.

32:46And I want to help with it.

32:48Katie Miller:And so you're still living in Nashville now touring. What's the latest in your musical career? So still touring and then traveling a lot for that kind of, you know, same as I've always been, just this added aspect of now in part D.C., part Nashville. Have you found that you've leaned more towards the advocacy political realm, given what you've seen, especially the attacks on your personal life since you've been, I guess, since President Trump's second term has started? That's a great question. You know, it's interesting because a lot of what I've done in the advocacy space is in educating. You know, I believe in conversations.

33:27I believe in having conversations with people you don't necessarily agree with. All of the content and videos that I was helping to create and make were all rooted in that, in educating the youth about the Constitution, teaching people that the Second Amendment can, if we can sell it as a feminist movement, then maybe we'll get people in the middle left understanding that it's a great right that we should all celebrate. and so a lot of my work that I did was rooted in reaching across and having people who don't understand you begin to understand you I think that with the attacks on the personal life was somewhere I hadn't you know we all deal with the same stuff normally this was a whole new ball game because you're dealing with people on the far you know far left who want to say things about you're dealing with the media, you're dealing with people who want to spend things because it works for their narrative.

34:23You know, it's just, you're kind of getting the broad spectrum. Um, but it's definitely made me want to lean in because I think that clearly telling the truth is still important. And, um, and so we must continue to do that.

34:35Katie Miller:What's an area that you disagree with cash on?

34:42Oh, come on now. Oh no. I think that it's really in like random things like I don't like spice and he does. Like I like spice. I just, I can't handle spicy foods. I'm trying, I'm working on it. Like I said, I'm Mediterranean. So I have it in me. I just, I need to get there with it. No, the going out, the going out to eat is hilarious. Cause I'm Hindu and I don't eat beef and she has a really significant seafood allergy. So when we sit down at a dinner table or go to an event, we have to like make sure we've provided these instructions. And so then when we're out to dinner at a nice dinner, She'll order like a steak which is great and I'll order like the seafood and everything else and it's like on a divided line Like I can't cross So but we make a really good surf and turf team.

35:27Yeah at like events if it's like hey It's gonna be steak and lobster like that's great. Just perfect. Just different place divvy us up like we're we're happy

35:34Katie Miller:So what's the ideal date night? Staying in yeah, I was gonna say at this point probably like doing that thing Sitting on the couch watching whatever Sleeping what's the best restaurant you guys have been to together in DC in DC? in D.C. together. That's absurd. Or I guess we'll go across the United States. Our favorite restaurant is Mizumi in Las Vegas. We go there as often as we can. But Las Vegas has the best food in the country, so we're spoiled in that manner. But D.C., I don't know. What do you like? I'm basically, when she's not here, I'm running the Uber Eats tab up because you get home, as you and Steven know, at like 9 p.m., and you're like, I don't have the time to cook, so whatever's convenient.

36:14And then if I'm in town, I do cook. She likes, you like filamina a lot. I do.

36:20Katie Miller:What's the best thing she cooks? Chili. Bison chili, which works out for me because I can eat it. Oh, wow. How do you keep your personal relationship strong when so much of what you do during the day isn't discussed outside of, you know, a classified setting? How does that work for you? She has this great ability to not only never ask me about my job, but never care to because she knows we're not going to discuss it. And so I think that keeps a lot of it like compartmented, which is just something I've done my entire government career. And so that's one of the ways in which we just don't have to waste time talking about what I'm doing at work or what's going on every day.

37:06And she's incredibly respectful of like my schedule and the fact that it changes, as you know, with your own personal life. basically at the last possible second. And sometimes things get canceled. And if it really mattered to her, I would make every chance I could, opportunity I could to make it. But she's also been unbelievably understanding of me calling it like Friday night for a Saturday event saying, sorry, I can't make it. It happens. It's the nature of it. The other thing with that too is that we had two entire years of our relationship where we were not in this dynamic, Which is really such a blessing because you know we got to live Obviously, we're here there and everywhere with our kind of the way our lives already were But it's you know we got to have kind of a normalcy before there were firewall topics Yeah, all that stuff.

37:59So some just

38:02Katie Miller:Strong how do you reach him during the day?

38:08Me Nicole

38:13I mean, oftentimes I'm running around during the day, so I'll shoot a text, and whenever he sees it, he sees it. But I'm assuming that it's a little busy over there.

38:23Katie Miller:What's the most important meeting she's ever called and you stepped out of? I've never had to step out of a meeting because if it was an emergency, I obviously would. And thank God nothing like that has had to have happened. I've had to step out of meetings for some family matters that arise with everyone else but yeah I've literally never had to do that I think I had to call you during dinner though when I cut my finger open oh yeah there was that I did that was that was I was yes I was not in DC and she informed me she accidentally cut her finger open and I said okay are we getting stitches are Are we at the hospital?

39:02Are we good to go? And her mom was sending me funny texts, and I knew it was fine.

39:10Katie Miller:What's your daily routine like right now? Mine? I get up early. I go work out at the building, and then I just roll into my day. And I don't know if there's a daily routine after that that sticks. It kind of gets jumbled. Have you written any love songs about Cash? You know, it's funny. I don't think anyone's ever asked that. Yeah, I have. But, you know, I'm waiting to come out with new music next year will be when I release more stuff. What are you working on now? Right now it's been writing and recording music. It's been a lot of the advocacy stuff, working with veterans organizations that I work with, continuing that important work, working with, you know, I've worked with Turning Point for a long time.

40:01I've worked with various organizations in the political space. I'm on the NRA board trying to promote the glory of the Second Amendment and protect it and teach the youth about it. And just all of those kind of categories. I'm stoking those various things.

40:18Katie Miller:You spoke at the NRA convention, right? I was there. I actually performed there. Oh, wow. Yeah. What's been your best performance that you've done that you rocked off the stage and you were like, I've hit a home run? Oh, there's this great venue in Tennessee, actually, not far from my house, which is really nice. But it's a cavern. You literally look out in the audience. There's the cave. So there's one way in, one way out. So your walk on is actually through the crowd, like on the side of the crowd. And they just pack the place out. And it's it's less about me and my performance and more just about the fact that that crowd is always incredible.

40:57Katie Miller:what's more intimidating performing in front of a crowd or working in the dc political circuit

41:06um i think you had a point where nothing's intimidating anymore you just kind of roll with whatever's handed to you so you get you go through enough and you kind of go all right well this is gonna be fine whatever it is we're gonna play the time-honored game of would you rather

41:21Katie Miller:I want you both to answer okay she goes first would you rather never be apart again but always have paparazzi around or keep doing long distance but stay totally private oof oh I think the answer you just said she was going to answer first yeah I know but she said it's not fair so you go first no you already started you have to go no look we knew what we were signing up for to a certain degree and it's an incredible But it's crazy. I am a first-generation Indian American whose parents fled a genocidal dictatorship in East Africa and lawfully emigrated to the United States. And now their kids are the ninth director of the FBI.

42:01There is nowhere else on planet Earth that that can happen. So when you get an opportunity like that, you have to deliver, especially for the resources and the sweeping mandate that President Trump got. Would I like to be anonymous? I joke at all my conversations with my buddies. I would pay a mountain of money to have my anonymity back. But that's just the way it is, and it's okay. I was going to say long distance, and then private, and nobody, you know, none of the paparazzi stuff, because we know how to make that work.

42:40Katie Miller:Would you rather always have delayed flights or lose your luggage every other trip? Oh, you go. Delayed flights. I would rather have delayed flights. I really don't want to lose my luggage. She is, yes. Her luggage is a whole deal. And there's colors and shapes and sizes. And so I think she would rather have her luggage arrive rather than herself, knowing that it got there. And then she can get there later. I would like to add a caveat to that, though, because I know someone's going to be like Alexis Wilkins, Diva, who has a lot of luggage. I never know exactly where we're going. I never know exactly how long the trip's going to be.

43:17I am just well-prepared, you know, comfort creature. I'm like, do I have a candle? Yes, I do. Like, but, you know, nobody's talking. But you pack candles? Yeah, I only have a travel candle sometimes. Like, it's just, you know, if you're always somewhere different, you might as well be comfortable. I have a heating pad. I have all sorts of things. You got to pack for black tie affairs, for dinners. That's true. For non-events. You never know. You never know.

43:41Katie Miller:I'd like to share a pack and a purse with like two things. I love that. I just buy things where I go. Well, okay, I should start adopting that strategy. That's a good idea. No, don't. Let's not try that for a while. He's over here like, bad plan. But if you want to take her shopping, that's fine. No, but I'm talking like I Target, I Walmart. I'm not like doing the high-end stuff when I'm traveling. That's great. But it's great. It's clean. It smells good. You've got a sizable piece of luggage over there too. That's for the equipment.

44:12Katie Miller:Would you rather always agree on what to watch or what to eat? She doesn't really care what we watch. That's very true. Really? So it's rather than what we eat. Yeah, I don't really care. I don't watch a lot of movies or TV if we're not together. So when we are together, I don't have large opinions. I haven't been watching a show that I really want to know what happens next. He's very good at picking shows, too. So I'm cool abdicating that. This next question is very funny. I don't know. Would you rather Cash sing backup vocals on your next single or Alexis field questions from senators about your relationship in a televised hearing?

44:47Well, one, she would feel those questions spectacularly well and crush those clowns. Two, if I sang backup vocals for her or anyone else, their career would be over.

45:02Which one would you rather? You know, I'm going to I like I like his answer a lot. I think it's good. If he wanted to, I would never say no, but I have a feeling that would not be his bag.

45:15Katie Miller:Would you rather never argue again or never have to apologize again? We don't really argue. Yeah. Maybe just not ever apologize again so you didn't let the person... You haven't argued in three years? So you don't let the person down. No, we have spats here and there. Over what? Tell the people. Very interested. Yeah. I love this. Are you coming today? Are you coming tomorrow? I don't know. when is so-and-so getting here, maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day. It's all logistics. Like, I want to be able to plan, not plan far ahead. I understand that that's not possible, especially in the last, you know, nine months.

45:50But it's just kind of like where you, it's more just, okay, like, let's just make a decision so that we can do it. I feel like, yeah, it's just, we haven't really, we agree on all of the fundamentals. And I think when you get along really well, you agree on the basic things. I just, I don't really, I just really don't, we don't, we don't, in the, I'd say the first couple years even, we didn't have enough, like, time together to go, like, we got plenty of time, but time together to find something that, to waste time over. Like, nothing is that important. Our relationship and, and having great time together is way more important.

46:28Katie Miller:What are you watching on TV right now? Oof. Really crappy Netflix series with all the travel you have to do. so you just like load it up with whatever is relevant. But then there's some really good ones out there. Paramount's crushing it with like Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa Kings, and Landman, and then there's just random things that come in. I'll watch anything related to hockey. So stuff like that. Do you watch any shows now that have the FBI and you're like, that's just not accurate. That's not how we do it there. No, I guess like a doctor watching ER or something. What's the first concert you've ever been to?

47:06Katie Miller:I went to a Journey concert. So I know, Cash, you're a big country music fan. What's your favorite? Who's your favorite artist? George Strait. Really? Even outside of country? Because I was half joking. 100%. All day long. He's so serious. He just got the Kennedy Center honors, didn't he? He did. Yeah. Did you meet him? I did not meet him there, but Alexis, for my birthday, surprised me by taking me to the George Strait concert. And I'd never been before in my life. So that was pretty awesome. This is for both of you, separate answers. What's your secret talent? Ooh, you go first. I don't have one.

47:43Katie Miller:You gotta have a secret talent. We all have one. What's yours? I think I can like see over the horizon and see like what's bad or good in the future. I think I can compartmentalize. Men can do that. Men's brains are like waffles. They have little compartments and they can think on one little compartment at a time and close it. And men actually have a compartment that has nothing in it. They're so good at it. I can't do that. I have a gut. I have a decent, really decent gut. But yeah, definitely compartmentalizing. What's the first app you open in the morning? Oof. I'd probably just catch up on whatever messages of coming in on a messaging app.

48:34That's probably it. My alarm first, I guess, is the technical answer. But past that, kind of whatever came up. How much are you sleeping at night right now? I shoot for like five to six hours, but, you know, it varies. What's your go-to hype song? Mine is actually really funny. Mine's the song from Hercules. The Go the Distance. Yep, that's my hype song. I don't know why. Pretty much anything from Guns N' Roses. Okay.

49:08Katie Miller:Who's the queen of country music? She is.

49:15Katie Miller:Very sweet. I need a poly market now on when the two of you are getting engaged. Like I will be there front and center. For a while, I was like, Dan Scavino needs to get engaged. Like, Aaron is incredible. And then he did it, which was great. It's coming. You're like the last one outstanding. I don't know. The last man standing. We won't disappoint. Better be good. I mean, I'd prefer that Polymarket poll to like if I'm a spy or not. Is there one up there? There was. What were the odds? I don't remember. It was a while ago. That's a good one. Because I feel like Polymarket now is more accurate than reality.

49:53Katie Miller:so the fact that it's gone bodes well for you. Yeah, it expired. They were like, no, no, I guess. That bodes well for your future, I guess. I'll take it. It says it's not accurate. Typically, this is the last question of every single podcast I've done. I want two different answers. If you could host a dinner party with three people, dead or alive, who's at the table, and what are you eating?

50:16Okay, I would pick Ronald Reagan, my papa. I know I'm not a celebrity, but my grandfather met the most in the world to me. And he knows everything about history. And he's the reason that I got into loving and appreciating history and veterans. He was a veteran and all that stuff. I could talk about my papa forever, so I will move on. Third one is hard because that was kind of as far as I got in my head. I don't know who my third would be. But we'd be eating, my papa loves like very simple meals like roast chicken, mashed potatoes. And so we'd eat what he likes because he gets to pick over Ronald Reagan.

50:59Sorry. Well, I'm going to answer it, but it's going to break your rules. You're just going to have to live with it. Okay, fine. The 1980 men's Miracle on Ice hockey team. And we would be eating chicken parm heroes from my favorite deli on Long Island.

51:14Katie Miller:Is that like chicken parm and everything else? so Chicken Parm Heroes is just like a sub restaurant? It's a sandwich, yeah. Okay. Thank you so much for doing this. Thanks for having us. Thank you. Thank you so much for watching this episode of the Katie Mild podcast. I hope we all learned something new about Cash and Alexis today because I know I did, even being their friend. Please don't forget to like, subscribe, share, and follow. We're available every Tuesday night at 6 p.m. where you get your podcasts. See you next week.

51:55Thank you.