Dan Bongino has announced he will step down from his position as deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in January, bringing to an end a brief but closely watched tenure at the agency.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Bongino thanked US President Donald Trump, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Attorney General Pam Bondi “for the opportunity to serve with purpose.” He also expressed gratitude to the American public, describing his role as a privilege.
His decision follows comments earlier in the day from President Trump, who said Bongino “did a great job” at the FBI and wanted to return to his podcast and media work. Bongino was appointed to the post in February by Trump, marking a notable departure from tradition, as the role has historically been filled by career FBI agents.
A former New York City police officer and US Secret Service agent who once protected President Barack Obama, Bongino later built a significant following as a conservative commentator and podcast host. His appointment was met with opposition from the FBI Agents Association, which represents about 14,000 current and former agents, citing his lack of prior experience within the bureau.
Before joining the FBI, Bongino had promoted disinformation and conspiracy theories surrounding Trump’s false claim that he won the 2020 presidential election, as well as the investigation into pipe bombs discovered outside the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic parties on 6 January 2021. He had previously described the pipe bomb case as an “inside job.”
After assuming office, Bongino made the long-running investigation a priority, aligning with Attorney General Bondi’s view that the case had stalled. Earlier this month, authorities arrested a suspect with no known government ties, nearly six years after the devices were discovered. FBI Director Patel credited Bongino with pushing for transparency and progress, saying he had delivered “major breakthroughs” in long-unsolved cases.
Bongino also revised his public stance on the 2019 death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While he had earlier questioned whether Epstein took his own life, Bongino said in May that he had reviewed the full file and concluded that Epstein died by suicide. This position was later reinforced by a joint justice department and FBI memo released in July, which stated that Epstein killed himself and that no “client list” existed.
The memo angered some of Trump’s supporters who rejected its findings, and US media reported it triggered a tense exchange between Bongino and Attorney General Bondi. Despite the controversy, Bondi said on Wednesday that “Americans are safer” because of Bongino’s service at the FBI.
Melissa Enoch
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