President Donald Trump is tapping one of America’s most prominent right-wing commentators to fill the number two position at the FBI.
Trump announced Sunday night that Dan Bongino, “a man of incredible love and passion for our Country,” will become Deputy FBI Director under newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel,
“Working with our great new United States Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and Director Patel, Fairness, Justice, Law and Order will be brought back to America, and quickly. Congratulations Dan!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
A former NYPD officer, Bongino also served as a Secret Service agent for over a decade, protecting former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama until 2012. He subsequently ran three unsuccessful GOP congressional campaigns and rose to prominence as a fire-breathing online Trump supporter and frequent Fox News guest.
Bongino’s backers believe he will be help Patel restore the FBI’s commitment to law enforcement and move past the political scandals that have engulfed the agency since Trump’s first term. Critics, meanwhile, have expressed concern that the uncompromising partisanship that made Bongino a MAGA media favorite — “My entire life right now is about owning the libs,” he said in 2018 — will corrupt the bureau’s nonpartisan mission.
“I’ve spent my life in public service, beginning with the NYPD and continuing through my time as a Secret Service agent, working under both Republican and Democrat administrations. I’ve witnessed firsthand the dedication and sacrifice of the men and women in these agencies who serve with integrity and honor,” Bongino said in a press release shared on X.
“There are dedicated people in the FBI who take their oath to the constitution seriously. They deserve leadership that will back them up, protect their mission, and ensure they can do their jobs.”
In 2021, Bongino filled Rush Limbaugh’s time slot for Cumulus media after establishing himself as a successful author and commentator on Fox News. His show is currently one of the largest on the Rumble video sharing platform with 3.5 million followers and consistently charts among the top political podcasts on all platforms.
Recent episodes of Bongino’s show carry titles like, “Deranged Libs Go All In For Ukraine War and Govt. Corruption” and “Communist Libs Are Causing A ‘Constitutional Crisis.'”
Bongino moved his program to Rumble because of its free speech policy before YouTube permanently banned him over a dispute about using his primary account to circumvent a temporary suspension on his secondary account.
“You helped create the DNA of Rumble and I can’t wait to see how you impact the DNA of the FBI. Myself and the Rumble team will miss you dearly and when you finish your business at the FBI, we’ll be here waiting. It’s been an absolute honor and pleasure to have worked with you,” Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski said on X.
Bongino is a passionate Trump supporter of Donald Trump and wrote a book defending Trump’s claims that the Obama administration spied on his 2016 presidential campaign. Bongino also authored a book pushing back against false claims that Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia. He also published a book tying the false Russian collusion claims to a broader conspiracy between Democrats and intelligence agencies to take down Trump.
When Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, Bongino promoted Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. He has minimized the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
Bongino is a strong critic of Covid-19 vaccine mandates and publicly attacked Cumulus’s corporate mandate policy in 2021. He also opposed Covid-19 mask mandates and argued that masks were not an effective method for deterring the virus.