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President Donald Trump has tapped Dan Bongino, a conservative commentator and former Fox News host, to serve as deputy director of the FBI, a position traditionally reserved for career FBI agents.
Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and NYPD officer, will serve alongside newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel in what is expected to be a dramatic reshaping of federal law enforcement under Trump’s second administration.
The appointment, announced by Trump on Sunday, underscores the administration’s deepening distrust of the FBI’s career officials and signals a major shift in leadership priorities at the bureau.
“Dan Bongino, a man of incredible love and passion for our Country, has just been named the next DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI, by the man who will be the best ever Director, Kash Patel,”Trump wrote in a social media post.
“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.”
Bongino Breaks FBI Tradition, Raises Concerns Over Qualifications
Bongino’s selection is highly unusual, as every deputy FBI director in the agency’s 117-year history has been a career FBI agent.
While Bongino served as a Secret Service agent, he has never worked for the FBI. Instead, he gained prominence as a staunch Trump supporter and conservative media personality, hosting a widely followed podcast and radio showafter multiple failed bids for Congress.
Bongino’s History of FBI Criticism and Conspiracy Theories
Bongino has been a vocal critic of the FBI, frequently pushing baseless conspiracy theories about the bureau.
Earlier this year, he falsely claimed that the FBI was covering up the identity of the suspect who placed pipe bombs outside the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters before the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
“If the video has been sitting in the FBI evidence locker for four years now, it’s almost like someone in the FBI knows the identity of this bomber and that Trump is going to find out,” Bongino speculated on his podcast.
He also called the FBI’s investigation into the matter “the biggest scandal of our time.”
Bongino has repeatedly attacked the FBI’s leadership, once advocating for a mass purge of agents he perceived as being loyal to President Joe Biden.
“EVERYONE involved in this DOJ/FBI abomination, from the management down to the agents, must be immediately terminated when the tyrants are thrown out of office,” Bongino wrote in a social media post following the FBI’s 2022 search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate for classified documents.
FBI Officials Raise Alarms Over Bongino’s Appointment
Bongino’s appointment has drawn criticism from within the FBI, with career officials warning that his lack of FBI experience could jeopardize the bureau’s operational integrity.
A memo from the FBI Agents Association, obtained by NBC News, did not name Bongino directly but appeared to question his qualifications.
“The FBI Deputy Director should continue to be an on-board, active Special Agent — as has been the case for 117 years for many compelling reasons, including operational expertise and experience, as well as the trust of our Special Agent population,” the memo stated.
Two current FBI officials expressed concern that Bongino would be responsible for overseeing the bureau’s 55 field offices, despite having no prior experience with FBI operations.
A Wider FBI Purge Under Trump?
Bongino’s appointment comes amid a significant leadership shake-up at the FBI. Since Patel’s confirmation as director last week, several senior FBI officials have been removed, including the head of the Washington Field Office, which oversaw investigations into Jan. 6 rioters.
Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has accused Patel of orchestrating “politically motivated” firings at the FBI, raising concerns about the bureau’s independence under Trump.
Trump himself has openly suggested firing agents involved in Jan. 6 cases, as his administration works closely with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to cut federal jobs.
With Patel and Bongino now leading the FBI, the bureau appears set for a drastic realignment, favoring Trump’s vision of law enforcement over its traditional structure and independence.
What’s Next?
Bongino’s appointment does not require Senate confirmation, meaning he can assume the role immediately. However, Democrats and former DOJ officials may challenge his qualifications, raising potential legal and political battles.
As Trump moves forward with his plans to reshape federal law enforcement, the FBI under Patel and Bongino is expected to take a dramatically different approach—one that aligns more closely with Trump’s political and ideological priorities than with the bureau’s longstanding traditions.
