Dan Bongino stepping down as FBI deputy director after less than a year
The right-wing podcaster’s conspiracy theories on subjects like Jeffrey Epstein came back to haunt him when he took the agency’s No 2 job
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino will step down from his post next month, he said on Wednesday, ending a short and at times tumultuous tenure as the bureau’s second highest-ranking official.
Bongino announced the move on social media hours after President Donald Trump said he thought Bongino wanted to “go back to his show”. He hosted a prominent right-wing podcast prior to joining the FBI.
“Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show,” Trump told reporters.
Bongino, a former New York City police officer, member of the Secret Service and right-wing podcaster, was an unusual pick for the FBI’s No 2 post, which historically had been filled by career agents who had worked their way up the ranks.
He was made deputy over objections from the FBI Agents Association, a group representing 14,000 primarily current agents, despite earlier assurances from FBI Director Kash Patel that he would install a career agent.
“I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose,” Bongino wrote in a post on X, referring to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel.