FBI director Kash Patel paid tribute to his friend and US President Donald Trump’s confidant, Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. While offering an emotional farewell at a press conference on the arrest of the shooter, Patel said: “Rest now, brother. We have the watch, and I’ll see you in Valhalla.”
His use of the term Valhalla has since sparked controversy online, with many questioning why he invoked Norse mythology while paying tribute to a conservative Christian figure.
WHAT DID KASH PATEL SAY?
While addressing a press briefing alongside Utah Governor Spencer Cox, on the arrest of Kirk’s murderer, Kash Patel stated at the end of his briefing, “To my friend Charlie Kirk, rest now, brother. We have the watch, and I’ll see you in Valhalla.”
WHAT DOES VALHALLA MEAN?
In Norse mythology, the term Valhalla is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. According to Britannica, it is the hall of slain warriors, who live there blissfully under the leadership of the god Odin. The idea of an afterlife in Valhalla was a strong motivating force for the Vikings, especially before they went into battle, because only the fallen warriors that the god Odin deemed worthy and brave enough could reach Valhalla.
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA REACTS TO PATEL’S ‘VALHALLA’ SPEECH
Patel’s remark drew mixed reactions online, with several users calling it “bizarre” and “out of place.” One user commented: “Kash Patel’s Valhalla comment is bizarre and wrong on both counts. Charlie Kirk is a devout Christian. Patel is a Hindu Indian who swore his FBI oath on the Bhagavad Gita. Completely nonsensical and unnecessary.”
Another user tweeted, pointing a finger at his religion: “Wasn’t Kash Patel raised Hindu? Why is he talking about Valhalla? My brother, you have so many more cycles left in the sasra.”
At the same time, one more user jumped in to define the precise meaning of Valhalla: “Valhalla is from Norse mythology. Charlie Kirk was a Christian. Christians don’t think of heaven as Valhalla. A lot of white supremacists tend to co-opt terms and images from Norse mythology. Kash Patel is also not white and was raised in a Hindu family.”
It all came at a time when the FBI Director was facing questions and embarrassment over his inaccurate remark, which he had made earlier, saying that a suspect had been caught in Charlie Kirk’s shooting.
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