Patel has faced scrutiny over his leadership for the past year, with his use of government resources emerging as a recurring storyline of his tenure.
President Donald Trump paid a solemn visit to the memorial at Pearl Harbor, a sacred journey for a commander-in-chief about to depart on an Asia trip that will be shadowed by fears of another international conflict.
In a historic pilgrimage, the leaders of Japan and the United States took to the hallowed waters of Pearl Harbor on Tuesday to prove that even the bitterest enemies can become allies. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not apologize, but conceded Japan "must never repeat the horrors of war again."
Ceremonies around the tri-state area commemorated the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.