Trump Reveals Reason Why Dan Bongino Is Leaving FBI

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced on Dec. 17 that he will step down from the bureau in January, ending a tenure of less than one year as the FBI’s second-in-command amid reported internal friction at the Department of Justice.

Bongino’s departure follows media reports of escalating conflict with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the handling and disclosure of investigative materials related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. According to MS NOW, Bongino had been telling associates for weeks that he planned to leave early next year and had already begun clearing out his office, a claim later reported by USA Today.

President Donald J. Trump appeared to publicly acknowledge Bongino’s impending exit before the former deputy director formally addressed it himself.

In a post on X, Bongino expressed gratitude to Trump, Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel, framing his brief service as an honor.

“Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you,” Bongino wrote.

Asked by reporters about Bongino on Dec. 17, President Trump offered praise while suggesting the decision was voluntary.

“Dan did a great job,” Trump said, adding that Bongino wanted to return to his show.

Bongino, a former U.S. Secret Service agent, New York City police officer, and longtime conservative media personality, rose to national prominence as host of The Dan Bongino Show. His podcast and commentary made him a key voice within President Trump’s Make America Great Again movement.

Since March, Bongino has played a central role in a sweeping overhaul of federal law enforcement under Trump-appointed leadership, an effort aimed at dismantling what the administration has described as entrenched politicization within the FBI and Justice Department.

Following Trump’s appointment of Kash Patel as FBI director and Bongino as deputy director, the bureau removed several senior officials, including a former acting FBI director and other top leaders accused by the administration of abusing their authority for political purposes. Some of those officials later filed a federal lawsuit alleging unlawful termination.

Bongino’s background in the Secret Service’s Presidential Protective Division and his years in law enforcement bolstered his credibility among conservative voters skeptical of federal agencies. Prior to joining the FBI, he was an outspoken critic of the bureau’s handling of the Epstein case, publicly questioning whether Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges and suggesting a possible cover-up to protect powerful individuals.

After assuming his role at the FBI, Bongino said he personally reviewed internal files and concluded that Epstein died by suicide and did not maintain a client list. In July, the FBI and Justice Department announced they would not release additional Epstein-related materials following what they described as an exhaustive internal review—a decision that infuriated many grassroots conservatives.

Subsequent media reports indicated that Bongino privately clashed with Bondi over the matter and considered resigning. MAGA influencer Laura Loomer later claimed on X that Bongino and Patel were both furious over how the Justice Department handled the Epstein files.

Bongino also came under renewed scrutiny earlier this month after authorities arrested a suspect connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, pipe bombing investigation—an arrest that contradicted Bongino’s earlier commentary suggesting the incident may have been an inside job.

Addressing the issue during an appearance with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Bongino acknowledged the shift in responsibilities that came with his FBI role, emphasizing that law enforcement decisions must be grounded in evidence rather than opinion.

In August, the White House announced that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey would be appointed as a second deputy FBI director. The move was widely interpreted by FBI observers as signaling internal dissatisfaction with Bongino’s performance and foreshadowing his eventual exit.