Update: He allegedly clashed with DoJ leadership and the workforce.
His departure seemed inevitable in August, when the White House named former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey co-deputy director, an unusual arrangement because two people had never previously shared the role. That appointment followed a tense period in which Bongino and Attorney General Pam Bondi butted heads over the Justice Department’s decision this summer not to release additional materials from the FBI’s investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Even before the clash over the Epstein files, Bongino seemed unhappy at work, lamenting the difficulties of running the day-to-day operations of the nation’s premier law enforcement agency. “I gave up everything for this,” he said on “Fox & Friends” in May. “People ask me all the time, you know, do you like it? I say, no, I don’t,” he said.
Others report that the administration had to keep hiring assistants because he wasn’t experienced enough for the position.
Original Story
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino is leaving the FBI for reasons unknown. President Trump said he thinks Dan Bongino just “wants to go back to his show” and did a”great job.” Dan Bongino was the person I trusted completely in the DoJ. I’m not so sure. about the others.
The rumors have been going around for months. In July, he took off for a couple of days, and it was uncertain that he would return. He said, “What I saw shocked me to my core,” and “I’ll never be the same.”
🚨 DAN BONGINO is LEAVING the FBI
“Dan did a GREAT JOB,” President Trump said.
Bongino is an absolute patriot. Thank you for your service, sir 🫡 pic.twitter.com/7NLXZoePrq
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 17, 2025
Dan Bongino posted to X:
I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January.
I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose.
Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you.
God bless America, and all those who defend Her.
In a statement on X in July, he assured Americans that they were committed to stamping out corruption. I doubt he is only leaving to go back to his podcast.
During my tenure here as the Deputy Director of the FBI, I have repeatedly relayed to you that things are happening that might not be immediately visible, but they are happening.
The Director and I are committed to stamping out public corruption and the political weaponization…
— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) July 26, 2025
We’ll never know the ruth except that the deep state is very deep. Gave up his career, which he’ll never get back. IMO, Patel and Bondi likely the cause.
Results were bad, let’s see how Bailey works out. Bongino’s warning that things are worse than we know behind the scenes should be scary to anyone. It’s consistent with the coverups of the 2020 election, J6, Butler, Epstein. It implies a government controlled by criminal forces. But his lies about Butler and Epstein are not forgivable. He started lying about… Read more »
Sinister players within our government are at work. In case the readers have never heard of this group, Omega 4 America, something else to ponder.. Voter fraud, etc., and the deep, dark, state.
https://omega4america.substack.com/p/the-black-hole-for-government-and?triedRedirect=true
Bongino wasn’t cut out to be an administrative type guy. He had no experience in his job and wasn’t prepared for how slow government moves. He must be frustrated on how little progress has been made on arresting the traitors.
Bongino’s body language ( I think it was Bartiromo interviewing them ) when he had to say Epstein killed himself made it obvious he was forced to lie and was very uncomfortable. Patel too looked uncomfortable. many people said they looked like hostages forced to say things they don t agree with. not long after that rumors began that Bongino… Read more »
Remember awhile back when Trump said that the Swamp was even deeper than he first thought. I believe Bongino found that out too. He’ll never be the same.
Most of the DOJ and FBI Obongo/Bidung-appointed senior managers should have been fired or reassigned to count dots on the ceiling on day one. While incompetence is hard enough to deal with, purposeful mismanagement, corruption and refusal to follow orders makes it impossible to redirect departmental policies and purpose.
Two thoughts:
1. Dan Bongino is not they of guy to continually do his job and then either a crazy judge or another fool undoes that work. or
2, Dan Bongino saw the depth of the corruption as the left has wormed in so deep, that he thought his time could be better used elsewhere.