Alexis Wilkins says the “total sham accusations” are diminishing her “hard work and earned accomplishments.”

Kash Patel’s girlfriend, booked for Freedom 250 event after artists drop out, melts down over nepotism accusations

Alexis Wilkins says the "total sham accusations" are diminishing her "hard work and earned accomplishments."

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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on June 24, 2026 3:40 p.m. ET

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FBI Director Kash Patel and Alexis Wilkins. Credit:

Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty

- Kash Patel's girlfriend Alexis Wilkins is slated to perform at Freedom 250's concert series.

- The country singer denies that she was invited to perform because of her personal connection to the Trump administration.

- She complained on social media that the "total sham accusations" are diminishing her "hard work and earned accomplishments."

Alexis Wilkins won't be accepting criticism at this time.

The conservative country singer, who is the longtime girlfriend of FBI director Kash Patel, recently signed on as a performer at the Great American State Fair, the upcoming Freedom 250 event that saw a slew of artists drop out over the organization's links to the Trump administration.

But critics have been quick to question whether Wilkins landed the gig on her own merit, or merely because of her connection to Patel.

On Tuesday, Wilkins announced her participation on X, writing, "What a great honor to be a part of the 250th birthday of this great nation!"

Kash Patel and girlfriend Alexis Wilkins.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty

The comments section was swiftly flooded with jokes and criticism, which Wilkins immediately took notice of. Two hours after the initial post, the artist angrily responded to Sara Higdon, a reporter for the right-wing news website The Post Millennial, who wrote, "Does having the FBI director’s girlfriend getting paid by the taxpayers to perform violate federal ethics laws?"

In her lengthy response, Wilkins insisted that she was invited to sing for reasons wholly unrelated to Patel.

"I have been a country music artist for years now. I have had a successful career in both music and commentary/strategy," she wrote. "I was invited to sing this anthem on my own accord, as I have been many other places throughout my career."

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Wilkins added that she is not being paid for the event, and denied that the celebration is taxpayer funded — though, notably, the Trump administration has previously come under fire for funding Freedom 250 with a mix of public taxpayer dollars with private funds that lacks transparency.

Wilkins continued, "I'm no longer accepting false narratives and total sham accusations that diminish my hard work and earned accomplishments, so please expect this kind of response to continue."

Alexis Wilkins in 2021.

Jason Kempin/Getty

Recent months have seen Wilkins garner attention, largely due to controversies surrounding her relationship with Patel — including pundits questioning whether he has used taxpayer money to see her perform and whether having her escorted by SWAT teams is an appropriate use of law enforcement.

As for her musical success, Wilkins began releasing music in 2020 and has yet to register on any major music chart. She has not released any full albums but has multiple singles and a six-song EP. At time of publication, Wilkins is currently listed as having 5,620 monthly listeners on Spotify.

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The Great American State Fair is set to kick off on Thursday. Thus far, a slew of performers have dropped out of the concert series — including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Morris Day, and Young MC. Additionally, several states have said they will not participate in the event, raising concerns over costs and partisanship.

In addition to Wilkins, the lineup presently includes Vanilla Ice, Flo Rida, and C + C Music Factory.

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