FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced via X that he is leaving his position with the agency in January and thanked President Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel “for the opportunity to serve with purpose.” Bongino, a devout Catholic and former US Secret Service Agent, was the host of a very popular conservative podcast before being tapped for his FBI role.
“Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show,” President Trump remarked when asked about Bongino’s departure.
Online chatter speculates that Bongino is stepping away from an organization that he was unable to help reform.
Over the summer, it was reported that Bongino clashed with AG Pam Bondi over the botched release of the Epstein files. The Justice Department and FBI had just announced that there was no client list associated with Epstein and much of the public, including many of President Trump’s supporters, found this hard to believe.
Around this time, Bondi had also tried to justify why an entire minute of video footage was missing from the prison cameras outside of Epstein’s cell, claiming that the surveillance system resets every night and therefore loses a minute of footage. Later, the missing minute was allegedly found, although critics were quick to point out that the newly found minute only raised more questions.
General Mike Flynn, former National Security Adviser to the president in his first term and fellow Catholic, expressed his disappointment on X.
“We thought we had people in this administration that were going to kick a – – and take names, instead we got people who talked a good game and have accomplished nothing,” he wrote. “We need trump to succeed otherwise the nation loses and our country turns rapidly toward socialism. I’m sick of the BS. I want to see accountability, so I respect your frustration and like millions of Americans, enough is enough.”
