No experience needed as Podcaster Dan Bongino second at FBI

HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 17: Dan Bongino attends 2022 FOX Nation Patriot Awards at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on November 17, 2022 in Hollywood, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump has appointed conservative commentator and former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino as deputy director of the FBI, placing a staunch ally in a key leadership role within the agency. Bongino, 50, will serve under newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel.

A controversial pick with no FBI experience

WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 21: New Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel speaks after he was sworn in during a ceremony in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on February 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Patel was confirmed by the Senate 51-49, with Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) the only Republicans voting to oppose him. Patel was confirmed despite being a hard-line critic of the FBI, the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agency. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Bongino, known for his podcast The Dan Bongino Show, has been a vocal supporter of Trump and has frequently criticized the FBI in the past. Unlike past deputy directors, who typically rise through the bureau’s ranks, Bongino has no direct FBI experience. His appointment, however, does not require Senate confirmation.

Trump praised Bongino as “a man of incredible love and passion for our Country,” while Bongino thanked the president on social media, saying, “We are going to re-establish faith in this institution. The FBI belongs to the American people.”

A political shift in the FBI

The appointment comes as the FBI undergoes major changes following Trump’s return to the White House. The Justice Department recently forced out top officials and requested the names of agents involved in the 2021 Capitol riot investigation, a move critics argue threatens the agency’s political independence.

Bongino and Patel, both seen as Trump loyalists, have pledged to reform the bureau. Bongino defended Patel’s leadership, saying, “Kash Patel is there for one reason: he is there to make the FBI great again.”

Bongino to step away from podcast

In a surprise announcement, Trump stated that Bongino would step away from his popular podcast to take on his new role. Bongino’s program has consistently outperformed mainstream news outlets in social media engagement, often featuring fiery criticism of Trump’s opponents.

With a budget of over $11 billion and 38,000 employees, the FBI is one of the most powerful law enforcement agencies in the country. As Bongino steps into his role, his presence signals a new chapter for the agency—one that is already stirring controversy.

Herbert Bauernebel

Herbert Bauernebel has been reporting from New York since 1999 and currently works for Bild.de, OE24 TV, and US Live. He also runs the news portal AmerikaReport.de. Bauernebel has covered nearly all major US events of the past quarter-century, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Barack Obama’s election, Donald Trump’s surprise victory, the pandemic, last year’s election showdown, as well as natural disasters such as hurricanes and oil spills. He has also reported firsthand on international events, including the Asian tsunami, the Haiti earthquake, and the Fukushima disaster. He lives in Brooklyn with his family and holds degrees in communication and political science from the University of Vienna. Bauernebel is the author of a book about his experiences on 9/11, And the Air Was Full of Ash: 9/11 – The Day That Changed My Life.