Dan Bongino has announced that he will step down from his role as deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in January, ending a brief but highly scrutinized tenure at the agency.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Bongino thanked 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 time at the bureau as a privilege.
The announcement followed remarks earlier from President Trump, who praised Bongino, saying he “did a great job” and understood his desire to return to podcasting and media work. Bongino was appointed to the post in February by Trump, marking a notable break from tradition, as the deputy director role has historically been held 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 profile as a conservative commentator and podcast host. His appointment faced 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 promoted disinformation and conspiracy theories related to Trump’s false claims of winning the 2020 presidential election, as well as the January 6, 2021 pipe bomb investigation targeting the Republican and Democratic party headquarters, which he had previously described as an “inside job.”
After assuming office, Bongino prioritized the long-running pipe bomb investigation, aligning with Attorney General Bondi’s assessment 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 delivered “major breakthroughs” in long-unsolved cases.
Bongino also revised his public position on the 2019 death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While he had previously questioned whether Epstein took his own life, Bongino stated in May that after reviewing the full file, he concluded that Epstein died by suicide. This conclusion was later reinforced by a joint Department of Justice and FBI memo released in July, which confirmed Epstein’s suicide and noted that no “client list” existed.
The memo sparked discontent among some Trump supporters and reportedly led to a tense exchange between Bongino and Attorney General Bondi.
Despite the controversies, Bondi praised Bongino’s service, saying on Wednesday that “Americans are safer” due to his contributions at the FBI.
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