Dan Bongino’s turbulent rise, from right‑wing media star to FBI No. 2, and what comes next

Dan Bongino says he will leave his post as FBI deputy director in January, ending a brief, often contentious turn as the bureau’s No. 2. The former NYPD officer, Secret Service agent and right‑wing media star arrived at the FBI in March 2025 with sky‑high name recognition and deep skepticism from career agents. His exit caps five years that reshaped his public profile, from a 2022 YouTube ban to a top‑rated Fox News show that ended in 2023, to a surprise move into federal law enforcement in the second Trump administration.

The nine‑month turn inside the FBI

Bongino’s selection as deputy director broke with tradition, critics said, because the role usually goes to a veteran bureau manager. Inside the building, his past commentary loomed over sensitive cases, and outside, allies hailed him as a needed disruptor. By mid‑December 2025 he announced plans to step down in January, thanking President Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, and signaling a likely return to media.

Why the pick was controversial

• He built a large audience attacking what he called a politicized FBI, which raised questions about how he would lead it.
• As a commentator, he amplified claims that drew fact‑checking scrutiny, including on COVID‑19 and the 2020 election, which opponents argued undercut the bureau’s credibility when he arrived.
• Supporters countered that an outsider with law‑enforcement experience, but not steeped in FBI culture, could press long‑promised reforms and reconnect the bureau with conservative voters.

From the protective detail to the ballot

Bongino served in the Secret Service from 1999 to 2011, including on the Presidential Protective Division for George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He then ran for office three times and lost each race, most narrowly in Maryland’s 6th District in 2014. Two years later he moved to Florida and finished third in the Republican primary for the state’s 19th District.

A media brand built on loyalty and conflict

After politics, Bongino leaned fully into broadcasting. His daily podcast and a nationally syndicated radio show helped him become a fixture of conservative media. Fox News launched Unfiltered with Dan Bongino in 2021, a Saturday program that routinely won its time slot. In April 2023 he and Fox parted ways after they failed to agree on a new contract.

“It’s not some big conspiracy, there’s no acrimony,” he told listeners after his final Fox episode.

Platform penalties, then a pivot

• YouTube permanently banned him in January 2022 after a strike over a video asserting masks were useless, then an attempt to post during a suspension. Google later terminated ad services for his website.
• He had already built a presence on Rumble, where his audience migrated and expanded. SEC filings show an entity he controls reported beneficial ownership of about 5.7% of Rumble when it went public in 2022.
• In 2022, Rumble announced an investment in Parallel Economy, a payment processor co‑founded by Bongino, pitching it as infrastructure insulated from what he calls ideological de‑platforming.

His case against Big Tech

Bongino says moderation rules are applied unfairly to conservatives, and that alternative platforms are essential for open debate. Critics respond that policies targeted specific false claims, not political identity, and point to repeat violations around COVID‑19 and the 2020 election.

Health, background and books

Bongino disclosed in 2020 that a tumor in his neck was Hodgkin lymphoma. He underwent treatment and later said he was in remission in 2021. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Queens College and an MBA from Penn State. His recent books, including Spygate, Exonerated and Follow the Money, argue that Democratic officials and security agencies conspired against Donald Trump, a thesis embraced by fans and rejected by his detractors.

How his FBI stint fits his arc

Bongino’s short tenure crystallized a decade‑long dynamic around him. His appeal rests on combative, point‑of‑view storytelling, loyalty to Trump, and a willingness to attack institutions he believes have strayed. Inside the FBI, that approach confronted the demands of running a sprawling, rules‑bound organization. The result, by his own account, is a return to the studio, where the incentives align with his instincts and audience.

Key milestones at a glance

The argument over Bongino’s influence

• Supporters say he gave a voice to millions alienated by elite media, challenged entrenched bureaucracies, and proved there is a market for platforms that resist mainstream moderation rules.
• Critics say he mainstreamed misinformation, profited from outrage, and was a poor fit for a nonpartisan law‑enforcement leadership job that relies on public trust.

What happens next is familiar terrain. His podcast and video show are poised for a bigger stage as the election cycle intensifies, advertisers re‑engage, and alternative platforms compete for attention. For Dan Bongino, the microphone remains the most comfortable seat in the house.