Patel Reveals Fired FBI Officials Gave Themselves a Trophy for Targeting Trump

A Trophy That Celebrated an Investigation, Not Justice

FBI Director Kash Patel revealed what he described as a deeply disturbing artifact from within the bureau: a self-awarded trophy created by former FBI officials to celebrate Operation Arctic Frost, an investigation aimed at President Donald Trump and his allies after the 2020 election.

The trophy was not awarded for solving a crime or protecting the public. Instead, Patel says it was designed and produced by FBI personnel involved in the probe itself, effectively congratulating themselves for pursuing Trump and Republicans. Patel shared images of the trophy publicly, calling it evidence of a corrupted culture that believed it would never be exposed.

What the Trophy Looked Like and Why It Matters

The trophy was metallic in appearance and appeared to be 3D printed. It prominently featured the letters AF, representing Arctic Frost, along with a lightning bolt and a dollar sign. The base included a raised map of the United States, miniature government buildings such as the Capitol and the White House, and the label CR-15.

CR-15 referred to a public corruption squad within the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Patel later disbanded this unit. To critics, the design choices were not subtle. The symbols suggested power, money, and domination over the political system, all wrapped into a celebratory object created by law enforcement officials targeting a political movement.

According to Patel, the officials involved in Arctic Frost believed they were carrying out a righteous mission. The investigation focused on efforts by Trump and his allies to challenge the 2020 election results, including discussions around alternate slates of electors.

Republican lawmakers later disclosed that the probe expanded far beyond Trump himself. The FBI reportedly surveilled lawmakers, issued hundreds of subpoenas, and investigated more than 100 conservative groups. Instead of viewing these actions as extraordinary or dangerous, the officials involved appeared to celebrate them internally.

To Patel and his supporters, the trophy shows that the investigators were no longer acting as neutral law enforcement officers but as political actors convinced they were on the right side of history.

Patel says he dismantled the CR-15 unit and removed what he described as corrupt actors tied to Arctic Frost. He has openly defended the firings and restructuring that followed, arguing they were necessary to restore integrity to the FBI.

When critics accuse the Trump administration of politicizing the bureau by firing agents, Patel’s response has been blunt. He says the politicization already existed and that the firings were a correction, not an abuse. Many of the officials connected to Arctic Frost are no longer with the FBI, either through termination or reorganization.

Weaponization of Law Enforcement

Republican leaders have described Arctic Frost as a textbook case of weaponization. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the investigation went far beyond Trump and targeted the broader Republican political apparatus.

Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson revealed that the Biden-era FBI issued 197 subpoenas connected to the probe. Johnson called the list an enemies list, arguing it showed the federal government using law enforcement powers to intimidate and investigate political opponents.

The Jack Smith Connection to Arctic Frost

Operation Arctic Frost later fed into work by former special counsel Jack Smith, whose cases related to the 2020 election were ultimately dismissed after Trump’s 2024 election victory.

Republicans have criticized Smith for fast-tracking legal actions during a presidential campaign, seeking gag orders, subpoenaing phone records of Trump-aligned individuals including members of Congress, and approving payments to confidential sources to gather intelligence on Trump. Smith has defended his actions and testified before Congress, but the trophy revelation has intensified skepticism about the motives behind the investigation.

For many conservatives, firing FBI officials is not enough. They argue that weaponizing federal law enforcement to attack a political opponent is not a policy disagreement but a crime.

From this perspective, those involved should face criminal investigations, not just career consequences. Critics say responsibility should be traced upward to political leaders who benefited from the investigation and who allegedly encouraged or enabled it.

Liberal Corruption at its Most Dangerous

The FBI is supposed to be the most trusted and impartial law enforcement agency in the country. A self-awarded trophy celebrating a politically charged investigation strikes many Americans as proof that the bureau lost its way.

To critics, this was not just misconduct but a warning sign of how fragile democratic safeguards can be when law enforcement becomes ideological. The trophy has become a symbol of a broader fear: that without accountability, the power to investigate can become the power to destroy political enemies.

As Patel continues reshaping the FBI, the question remains whether the country will fully confront how close it came to turning its highest law enforcement agency into a political weapon.