WASHINGTON — Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent, author of bestselling books, and conservative media personality with television shows and a popular podcast, has been nominated for the position of FBI deputy director.
President Trump announced the selection on Sunday night via his Truth Social platform, lauding Bongino as “a man of incredible love and passion for our Country.” He described the announcement as “great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice.”
This selection places two committed Trump supporters in leadership positions at the nation’s top federal law enforcement agency, raising concerns among Democrats who fear the President may target political opponents. Bongino would report to , who was sworn in as FBI director on Friday and has expressed intentions to reform the bureau, including relocating staff from the Washington headquarters and prioritizing traditional crime-fighting efforts.
The deputy director is the FBI’s second-highest-ranking officer, typically a career agent overseeing the bureau’s daily law enforcement activities.
Bongino, 49, served in the presidential protection details for Presidents Obama and George W. Bush before rising to prominence as a right-wing figure. He became a key figure in the Make America Great Again movement, often spreading misinformation regarding the 2020 election.
Following Rush Limbaugh’s death in 2021, Bongino was chosen to host a radio show in the same time slot formerly held by the renowned commentator.
Bongino was a member of the New York Police Department from 1997 to 1999 before joining the Secret Service. He began providing commentary on Fox News over a decade ago and hosted a Saturday night program on the network from 2021 to 2023. He currently hosts The Dan Bongino Show, a popular podcast, according to Spotify.
Bongino ran for a U.S. Senate seat in Maryland in 2012 and for congressional seats in Maryland and Florida in 2014 and 2016, respectively, after relocating in 2015. He was unsuccessful in all three campaigns.
Last fall, Bongino requested Trump to pledge to establish a commission for Secret Service reform, calling the agency “failed” and criticizing it for the two assassination attempts that had occurred the previous year.
“That guy should have been nowhere near you,” Bongino stated regarding the individual who, according to authorities, was camping outside Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, before being discovered with a rifle.
During the same interview, Trump commended the Secret Service agent who spotted the rifle’s barrel protruding from a bush.
—Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.
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