Dan Bongino is quitting the FBI, for real this time. To note, this decision comes less than a year after he accepted the deputy director post in October 2022. He announced his decision on Twitter. This comes as his tenure is under increasing fire due to his promotion and advancement of countless conspiracy theories. Bongino’s incendiary remarks regarding the January 6 Capitol insurrection have made headlines and raised questions. There are plenty who are now second-guessing his appointment to the position.
Bongino’s 51, by the way. Prior to hosting “The Dan Bongino Show,” he was a New York City police officer and a Secret Service agent. His unexpected appointment to the FBI then drew heavy fire. It was a departure from the agency’s previous decades-long practice of promoting career agents who had made their way up the ranks. Bongino’s leadership had been controversial since his appointment. It increased when he continued to share disinformation around the events of January 6, 2021.
Controversial Claims and Reaction
Bongino has called the planting of pipe bombs at the DNC and RNC offices “an inside job.” He claims that the FBI planned everything during the Capitol insurrection. These assertions contradicted official investigations and fueled discontent among some of Trump’s supporters who were already skeptical about the bureau’s integrity.
It was his promotion of even wilder conspiracy theories that truly rattled most Americans. That included his inflammatory defense of high-profile cases such as Jeffrey Epstein’s death. Bongino had previously enraged many by rejecting assertions that there was an incriminating “client list” related to Epstein, stating that he died by suicide in his jail cell. National media reported that the FBI arrested a suspect in connection with the case, reversing its earlier claim. This, in turn, triggered a firestorm of primary challenge backlash against Bongino.
“I’m paid to be your deputy director, and we base investigations on facts.” – Dan Bongino
In the wake of these controversies, leadership at the Department of Justice and FBI responded by. They released a memo that reversed the Trump administration’s commitment to transparency and rejected a number of decades-old Bongino conspiracy theories the former agent had advanced. This memo added to the growing pressure for Bongino’s resignation.
Departure and Future Plans
Bongino’s resignation announcement came just hours after former President Donald Trump speculated that Bongino wished to return to his previous role as a media host. During an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Bongino announced that he would not be returning. His office had already been packed up, to the point of indicating where the quick exit from his job was located.
Looking ahead, Bongino suggested that he would be returning to media. He stated, “I was paid in the past, Sean, for my opinions, that’s clear, and one day I will be back in that space — but that’s not what I’m paid for now.”
His resignation represents loss for the FBI at a profound moment in its history. Its effects will surely be felt in future public trust in federal agencies. As Bongino rides off into the sunset of podcasting, media watchers are sure to keep one eye fixed firmly upon Bongino’s next moves across media’s new frontier.
