Dan Bongino Serves as FBI Deputy Director in 2025
In February 2025, shortly after returning to the White House, President Donald Trump appointed conservative media personality and former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino as Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The move, formalized around February 23 and with Bongino assuming the role on March 17, placed a prominent outsider atop the bureauās operational leadership under Director Kash Patel.
The appointment marked a significant departure from FBI tradition. The Deputy Director position has historically gone to career agents with decades of internal experience. Bonginoās background included service with the New York City Police Department (1995ā1999) and the U.S. Secret Service, where he worked on protective details and financial crime investigations. However, he was best known for his decade as host of āThe Dan Bongino Show,ā where he frequently criticized the intelligence community and alleged political bias within federal agencies.
Supporters viewed the selection as a needed reform effort. They argued that Bonginoās outsider perspective would help restore public trust in the FBI following controversies tied to the 2016 election and subsequent investigations. Proponents believed his leadership could refocus the agency on priorities such as counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and violent crime while addressing perceived bureaucratic entrenchment.
Critics, including Democrats and former law enforcement officials, raised concerns about politicization. Figures such as Reps. Adam Schiff and Bennie Thompson expressed worry that Bonginoās past statements could undermine the bureauās reputation for impartiality, harm morale among career agents, and influence ongoing investigations. The appointment occurred against the backdrop of tensions from the prior administration, including preemptive pardons issued to members of the House January 6 Select Committee.
Bonginoās tenure lasted less than a year. He oversaw daily operations and initiated reviews of certain past investigations. In December 2025, he announced his resignation effective January 2026 to return to media work. He described internal findings as surprising, though many details remained undisclosed. The FBI later named a career agent, Christopher Raia, as his replacement.
Bonginoās brief time in the role has fueled ongoing debates about the balance between political accountability and the independence of federal law enforcement institutions in a polarized political environment.
