Dan Bongino | |
|---|---|
_(3x4_cropped).jpg) Official portrait, 2025 | |
| 20thDeputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation | |
| In office March 17, 2025 – January 3, 2026 Served withAndrew Bailey | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Paul Abbate |
| Succeeded by | Christopher Raia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Daniel John Bongino (1974-12-04)December 4, 1974 (age 51) New York City, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Paula Martinez |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
| Website | bongino |
| Police career | |
| Service | |
| Divisions | Presidential Protection Division |
| Field offices | |
| Service years |
|
| Rank | Special agent |
Daniel John Bongino (/bɒndʒiːnoʊ/bon-JEE-noh; born December 4, 1974) is an Americanconservative podcaster, radio host, and law enforcement officer who served as the 20thdeputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2025 to 2026. He hostedThe Dan Bongino Show onRumble and previously hostedUnfiltered with Dan Bongino onFox News until April 2023.
Bongino began his career as aNew York City Police Department (NYPD) officer from 1995 to 1999 before serving as aU.S. Secret Service agent from 1999 to 2011. He later unsuccessfully ran for Congress three times as aRepublican. On February 23, 2025, PresidentDonald Trump announced that Bongino had been named the next deputy director of the FBI. He assumed office on March 17, after concluding his commentating roles on March 14.
On December 17, 2025, Bongino announced onTwitter that he would leave his post in January 2026; he officially left his position on January 3.
Daniel John Bongino was born and raised inQueens,New York City.[1][2] He is ofItalian descent.[3]
He graduated fromArchbishop Molloy High School,[4] a Catholic all-male high school inJamaica, Queens, in 1992. He attendedQueens College, earning bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology. He also earned aMaster of Business Administration degree fromPennsylvania State University.[5]
Bongino worked as a police officer for theNew York City Police Department from 1995 to 1999.[6]
Bongino joined theUnited States Secret Service in 1999 as aspecial agent.[6][2] In 2002 he left the New York Field Office to become an instructor at theSecret Service Training Academy inBeltsville, Maryland. In 2006, he was assigned to thePresidential Protection Division duringGeorge W. Bush's second term. He remained on protective duty afterBarack Obama became president, leaving in May 2011 to run for the U.S. Senate.[6][7]
Also in 2011,The Baltimore Sun reported that Bongino was the lead investigator of a car rental fraud scheme. His work contributed to two people being indicted on federalwire fraud charges.[8]
Bongino was criticized by former colleagues at the Secret Service for using his Secret Service background as part of his run for political office and for his claim of having secret information based on conversations he overheard in the Obama White House.[9][10][1] A former colleague accused him of "trying to draw attention to himself and...hijacking the Secret Service brand." Bongino said he had access to "high-level discussions" in theWhite House.[9]
Bongino rejectedbirtherism, the claim that President Obama was born outside the United States.[11]
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Bongino has been a radio host and commentator on both local and national programs. He has guest-hostedThe Sean Hannity Show andThe Mark Levin Show and has filled in onWMAL-FM in Washington, D.C., andWBAL inBaltimore. He was a paid contributor toNRATV until December 2018.[12][13][14] He also guest-hostedHannity onFox News in December 2018.[15]
In December 2019, Bongino launched theBongino Report as an alternative to theDrudge Report. He criticized theDrudge Report's founder,Matt Drudge, for allegedly shifting away from supportingDonald Trump.[16][17]
In October 2020,Politico reported that Bongino's posts onFacebook were routinely among the most shared on the platform.[18]
Following theJanuary 6 United States Capitol attack, Bongino's Twitter account was temporarily suspended on January 7 for violating the platform's civic integrity policy. On his podcast, he argued that political violence had been normalized by leftist movements and accused liberal media outlets of hypocrisy in their coverage of protests.[19]
In March 2021,Cumulus Media signed Bongino to replaceThe Rush Limbaugh Show on its talk radio stations while continuing to carry his one-hour podcast.[20] In May of that year,Fox News announced he would hostUnfiltered with Dan Bongino, which premiered on June 5.[21] Between July and August 2021, he hostedCanceled in the USA, a five-partFox Nation series oncancel culture.[22]Talkers Magazine estimated his radio show had 8.5 million listeners as of October 2021, ranking second among programs competing to succeedRush Limbaugh.[23]
In January 2022,YouTube permanently banned Bongino for attempting to circumvent a temporary suspension related to a video questioning the efficacy of masks during theCOVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the ban, he had already moved his podcast toRumble.[24][25]
On December 11, 2022, Bongino announced plans to end his Cumulus radio show at the conclusion of his contract.[26] Cumulus began phasing his show out of its stations' lineups in June 2023.[27] However, in December 2023, he reversed course, securing a multi-year contract extension withWestwood One.[28] Upon Bongino's acceptance of his FBI position in 2025, Westwood One replaced Bongino with Vince Coglianese, a personality based at WMAL-FM.[29]
On April 20, 2023, Bongino announced his departure from Fox News, citing failed contract negotiations.[30]
On October 19, 2021, Bongino said that he opposed corporate vaccine mandates, although he said he was vaccinated. He called on his employer,Cumulus Media, to end their vaccine mandate, which had been announced in September. Unvaccinated employees at Cumulus had already been fired on October 11 and replaced.
"You can have me or the mandate. But you can't have both of us", Bongino said on his show.[31] After taking nearly two weeks off, he returned to announce he was negotiating his ultimatum with Cumulus,[32] and starting a fund for former employees of Cumulus fired because of the vaccination mandate.[33]
Brian Rosenwald, a talk radio historian, believed Bongino's request was never much of an ultimatum, seeing little reason for Cumulus or its host to sever ties. Rosenwald commented:[34]
I think it was a cynical ploy, to some extent. There was an incentive for him to stay with them because of that platform, and they've invested a lot of money in launching this show and building it up.
In a December 2021 interview withThe New Yorker, Bongino stated that he had been vaccinated for COVID-19, at the advice of his doctor due to hislymphoma.[35]
Bongino ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in Maryland in 2012.[36] Former gubernatorial candidateBrian Murphy was his campaign chairman.[6] Bongino won the Republicanprimary on April 3, 2012, with 33.8 percent of the vote, defeating nine other candidates. He lost the general election in a landslide, taking only 26.6% of the vote against incumbent DemocratBen Cardin in a three-way election battle.[37]
In the 2014 election, Bongino ran for the U.S. House seat inMaryland's 6th congressional district against incumbent DemocratJohn Delaney. Bongino narrowly lost to Delaney by 1.5 percentage points. Although Bongino carried four of the district's five counties, he ran a 20,500-vote deficit in the district's share ofMontgomery County in the outer suburbs of Washington.[38][39]
After moving to Florida in 2015, Bongino contemplated running for theUnited States Senate andFlorida's 18th congressional district in 2016.[40][41] However, in June 2016, Bongino declared that he would seek the Republican nomination forFlorida's 19th congressional district.[42] He faced Chauncey Goss, aSanibel city councilman who sought the seat in 2012, andFrancis Rooney, a businessman and formerUnited States ambassador to the Holy See, in the primary.
In an August 2016 interview with aPolitico reporter, Bongino went on a profanity-laced rant against a reporter who asked about a story in theNaples Daily News that Bongino said was dishonest.[43] The recorded phone call was published byPolitico.[44] He placed third in the August 2016 primary, losing the nomination to Rooney.[45]
On February 23, 2025, PresidentDonald Trump announced onTruth Social that Bongino would be the next deputy director of theFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).[46][47] Bongino took office on March 17.[48] Unlike the FBI director, the position of deputy director does not require Senate confirmation.[49] On August 18,The New York Times reported that Bongino would share a "co-deputy directorship" role with Missouri attorney generalAndrew Bailey being tapped for the other "co-deputy director" position.[50][51][52] Bailey became Co-Deputy Director of the FBI on September 15, 2025. On December 17, 2025, Bongino announced via Twitter that he would be stepping down as deputy director of the FBI in January 2026.[53]
In May 2025, Bongino announced that he and Patel would reopen or dedicate additional resources to three unresolved investigations: thepipe bombs placed near theRepublican National Committee andDemocratic National Committee headquarters on January 5, 2021; the leak of theDobbs draft opinion in 2022; and the discovery of cocaine at theWhite House in July 2023.[54][55] Later that month, Bongino claimed onFox News that the FBI had discovered a room containing documents from former FBI DirectorJames Comey's tenure that had not been properly digitized or logged, stating "you're going to be stunned" by the contents once declassified.[56]
On July 11,CNN reported that Bongino was considering resigning over the Department of Justice's investigation into thedeath of Jeffrey Epstein.[57]
On October 6, 2025, Bongino briefed eight Republican senators on documents discovered during an FBI file review showing that theArctic Frost investigation had obtained their phone toll records in 2023.[58] The records covered January 4–7, 2021, and none of the senators were under investigation.[59] Bongino stated, "It is a disgrace that I have to stand on Capitol Hill and reveal this — that the FBI was once weaponized to track the private communications of U.S. lawmakers for political purposes."[60]
On December 4, 2025, the FBI arrested Brian Cole Jr. in connection with thepipe bombs placed near the RNC and DNC headquarters on January 5, 2021.[61] Attorney GeneralPam Bondi credited the arrest to work by Bongino and Patel, stating, "This cold case languished for four years until Director Patel and Deputy Director Bongino came to the FBI."[62] Current and former officials disputed that characterization, telling CNN that the evidence had not been "gathering dust."[63]
Before joining the FBI, Bongino had claimed on his podcast that the pipe bombs were an "inside job" and that the FBI was engaged in a "massive cover-up."[61][64] When asked about his previous statements onFox News following the arrest, Bongino said, "I was paid in the past, Sean, for my opinions. That's clear. And one day I will be back in that space, but that's not what I'm paid for now. I'm paid to be your deputy director, and we base investigations on facts."[61]
On December 17, 2025, Bongino announced he would be resigning as FBI deputy director in January 2026.[65] Bongino's resignation was commented on by Trump, who shared on X that Bongino "wants to go back to his show", referring to his podcast.[66] Bongino officially left his position on January 3, 2026.[67]
In 2018, Bongino said, "My entire life right now is aboutowning the libs. That's it."[68][1][69] He is a supporter of president Donald Trump.[70][71]
According toMother Jones, Bongino is a member ofGroundswell, a group of conservative activists working to advance conservative causes.[72]
Bongino has called the investigation of possibleTrump–Russia collusion a "total scam".[73][74] He has promoted claims that the FBI improperly surveilled the Trump campaign in 2016, whichThe New York Times described as "conspiracy theories that fueled right-wing disbelief in the nation's most powerful law enforcement agencies".[75] In May 2018, Trump quoted Bongino as saying that former CIA directorJohn Brennan "has disgraced the entire Intelligence Community" and was "worried about staying out of jail".[76]
In May 2018, after Republican congressmanTrey Gowdy challenged Trump's claims that the FBI had surveilled his 2016 presidential campaign, Bongino said Gowdy had been "fooled" by theDepartment of Justice.[77] In February 2019, he accused Deputy Attorney GeneralRod Rosenstein of attempting a coup against Trump.[78]
In June 2020, Bongino testified before the House Judiciary Committee during hearings onpolice brutality, saying that efforts to reduce police funding were an "abomination" that should be dropped "before someone gets hurt".[79]
TheAssociated Press reported that Bongino "became one of the leading personalities in the Make America Great Again political movement to spread false information about the 2020 election," noting thatclaims of widespread fraud "have been widely rejected as false by judges and former Trump attorney generalWilliam Barr."[80] An NBC News analysis of Bongino's podcast transcripts from 2017 to 2025 found more than 21,000 mentions of "FBI" or "deep state," describing him as "one of the loudest supporters of unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen."[81] The advocacy organizationAvaaz listed Bongino among the top five "superspreaders of election misinformation" on social media.[82]
Bongino criticizedface mask mandates during theCOVID-19 pandemic, stating that masks are largely ineffective and referring to them as "face diapers".[71][35][83]
Bongino has authored multiple books related to his career in law enforcement, politics, and support for Donald Trump.
His first book,Life Inside the Bubble, was published in 2013 and details his experiences as a Secret Service agent, including his work protecting presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, investigating federal crimes, and running for the U.S. Senate. In 2016, he releasedThe Fight: A Secret Service Agent's Inside Account of Security Failings and the Political Machine, which focuses on security issues and political corruption.[84]
In 2019, Bongino publishedSpygate: The Attempted Sabotage of Donald J. Trump, which promotes the disprovenSpygate conspiracy theory, alleging improper surveillance of Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.[85] Later that year, he releasedExonerated: The Failed Takedown of President Donald Trump by the Swamp, which was listed onThe New York Times Best Seller list with a dagger symbol, indicating bulk sales influenced its ranking.[86] In August 2020, Bongino denied that bulk purchases had contributed to the book's placement, stating that the only bulk sales event took place a month after it appeared on the list.[87]
Bongino is married to Paula Andrea, née Martinez, who was born inColombia. They have two daughters. In 2012, he and his wife operated three home-based businesses, sellingmartial arts apparel,designing websites, and consulting on security and risk management.[88] While running for office in 2016, Bongino resisted talking about his business interests and said he and his wife had shut them down.[89]
Bongino lived inSeverna Park, Maryland, from 2002[88] until 2015, when he relocated toPalm City, Florida.[90][89]
Bongino announced in June 2020 that he had purchased an "ownership stake" of unspecified value inParler, analternative social media platform.[91][92][93]
On September 23, 2020, Bongino announced that a seven-centimetertumor had been found in his throat. He added that he was unsure if the tumor was cancerous or benign, but would fly toNew York on September 25 for further screening.[94] On October 2, he said that he had received a "bad phone call" from doctors, and announced that he would be undergoing surgery on October 7.[95]
Following his surgery, he tweeted that the "entire tumor" was removed from his neck, but that he likely hadlymphoma. He said he would receive treatment in the future.[96] On October 16, he confirmed that he received an official diagnosis ofHodgkin lymphoma, adding that he would be continuing treatment in consultation with his doctors.[97] In an interview in July 2021, Bongino said that he had "beaten" cancer.[98]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Francis Rooney | 46,800 | 52.73 | |
| Republican | Chauncey Goss | 26,520 | 29.88 | |
| Republican | Dan Bongino | 15,434 | 17.39 | |
| Total votes | 88,754 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Delaney (incumbent) | 94,704 | 49.7 | |
| Republican | Dan Bongino | 91,930 | 48.2 | |
| Green | George Gluck | 3,762 | 2.0 | |
| Total votes | 190,536 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dan Bongino | 23,933 | 83.5 | |
| Republican | Harold W. Painter Jr. | 4,718 | 16.5 | |
| Total votes | 28,651 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ben Cardin (incumbent) | 1,402,092 | 55.41 | +1.20 | |
| Republican | Dan Bongino | 674,649 | 26.66 | −17.53 | |
| Independent | Rob Sobhani | 420,554 | 16.62 | N/A | |
| Libertarian | Dean Ahmad | 30,672 | 1.21 | +1.21 | |
| N/A | Others (write-in) | 2,583 | 0.10 | +0.05 | |
| Majority | 727,443 | 100.00 | |||
| Turnout | 2,530,550 | 68.23 | |||
| Democratichold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dan Bongino | 66,561 | 33.8 | |
| Republican | Richard J. Douglas | 55,907 | 28.4 | |
| Republican | Joseph Alexander | 17,567 | 8.9 | |
| Republican | Bro Broadus | 10,503 | 5.3 | |
| Republican | Rick Hoover | 10,241 | 5.2 | |
| Republican | John B. Kimble | 10,088 | 5.1 | |
| Republican | David Jones | 8,002 | 4.1 | |
| Republican | Corrogan R. Vaughn | 7,869 | 4.0 | |
| Republican | William Thomas Capps Jr. | 6,768 | 3.4 | |
| Republican | Brian Vaeth | 3,602 | 1.8 | |
| Total votes | 204,268 | 100 | ||
Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and frequent Fox News commentator, parlayed his bombastic defense of Trump into a book: "Spygate: The Attempted Sabotage of Donald J. Trump."
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromMaryland (Class 1) 2012 | Succeeded by Tony Campbell |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by Robert Kissane Acting | Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation 2025–2026 Served alongside:Andrew Bailey (2025–2026) | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
