He rose to prominence in MAGA circles by stoking conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein and a “Washington swamp” cover-up.
But after months of effectively being part of that swamp, FBI deputy director Dan Bongino is considering calling it quits after a White House clash over the Epstein files with Donald Trump’s very own chief lawmaker.
The brawl with Attorney General Pam Bondi has exposed the fissures of the president’s inner sanctum, underscored MAGA’s outrage over the handling of the Epstein saga, and highlighted the tension between conspiracy theories and institutional reality.
But who is Dan Bongino, the former Secret Service agent and right-wing podcaster who Trump tapped to be the second-in-charge at the FBI?
Born in Queens, Bongino began his career as a New York Police Officer in 1995 and joined the Secret Service four years later, serving in financial crime investigations and as a presidential protection agent for George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
After leaving the Secret Service, he ran unsuccessfully for a U.S. Senate seat in 2012 and later for a House seat in 2014 and 2016.
But the outspoken conservative rose to MAGA fame when he transitioned to the media, hosting his own “Unfiltered” show on Fox News and launching the widely popular podcast The Dan Bongino Show.
Deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Dan Bongino used to host his own show on Fox. Jason Koerner/Getty Images
It was here that Bongino became an outspoken provocateur, unleashing inflammatory rants against the Democrats, the media, and the federal government.
He spread conspiracy theories on everything from election fraud to Spygate. He was suspended from Twitter after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. And he told his listeners, repeatedly, to demand accountability for Epstein’s crimes, describing the story as “a big deal.”
“Folks, you’re going to see a lot of names on that,” he said at the time. “It’s going to rock the political world. There’s a reason they’re hiding it.”
Bongino’s status as an outsider who had railed against Washington made him an unusual pick for the second top job at the FBI, working alongside FBI Director and fellow MAGA acolyte Kash Patel.
But the 50-year-old has made no secret of the fact that he hates the job, saying in May that it often makes him feel like he’s “dying inside.”
He admitted that the new role has “been tough” on his wife and family, but he felt he didn’t have a choice after Trump nominated him.
“It was a lot,” he told Fox & Friends in a candid interview about joining the ranks of an agency he once described as the most “corrupt” in America.
“People ask me all the time, you know: do you like it? And I say no, I don’t, but the president didn’t ask me to do this to like it. Nobody likes going into an organization like that.”
Less than two months later, sources close to Bongino say he is now considering his future after this week’s clash with Bondi, which took place in front of some of Trump’s top aides.
Bongino had become frustrated with the way Bondi, who is a polarizing figure in MAGA land, had handled the Epstein saga by overpromising, and then underdelivering, a client list that she now claims does not exist.
But things escalated in the White House this week when Bongino was reportedly confronted about the leaking of an article suggesting he and Patel actually wanted more information released on Epstein, but were held back. Bongino denied being the source of the information.
The administration has sought to play down the matter, putting out a statement insisting that the team was unified.
But Bongino took the day off on Friday, fueling speculation that he might pull the pin…unless Bondi exits first.
“Can confirm that it’s Bongino or Bondi – and the pick is obvious,” said conservative podcaster Megyn Kelly. “Bondi must go.”
