FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino to resign after turbulent tenure
Dan Bongino, Deputy director of the FBI, (L) speaks with Kash Patel, the FBI director, as they attend the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum on September 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiag
WASHINGTON - FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced Wednesday that he will step down next month, concluding a short and turbulent tenure marked by disputes with the Justice Department over the Jeffrey Epstein files and efforts to reconcile his law-enforcement responsibilities with controversial statements from his past as a prominent podcast host.
What they're saying:
"I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January," he posted on social media. "I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose."
Dan Bongino to step aside as FBI Deputy Director
We are now learning that Dan Bongino, the FBI Deputy Director, will step aside and leave his current position next month. Bongino made the announcement on Wednesday, ending a brief tenure as the bureau's No. 2 official. President Donald Trump has indicated that he remains confident in FBI Director Kash Patel.
"Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you. God bless America, and all those who defend Her."
Dig deeper:
The departure, which had been expected, would be among the highest-profile resignations of the Trump administration. It comes as FBI leadership has been buffeted by criticism over Director Kash Patel’s use of a government plane for personal purposes and social media posts about active investigations.
Cryptic post: Dan Bongino vows to real the 'truth'
FBI Director Dan Bongino is vowing to reveal the "truth" in cryptic post put out on X. Bongino saying he's shocked down to his core from what the FBI has uncovered during recent investigations but did not get into specifics.
The backstory:
Bongino was always an unconventional pick for the No. 2 job at the FBI, a position that historically has entailed oversight of the bureau’s day-to-day operations and typically has been held by a career agent. Though he had previously worked as a New York City police officer and Secret Service agent, neither he nor Patel had any experience at the FBI before being picked for their jobs.
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Bongino clashes with Bondi over Epstein files, report says
Marc Caputo, Trump White House reporter at Axios, joins LiveNOW's Austin Westfall to discuss his reporting as it relates to clashes within the Trump administration over the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Nonetheless, Bongino was installed in the role in March by President Donald Trump after years as a far-right podcast host, where he used his platform to repeatedly rail against the FBI and to encourage conspiracy theories related to the Epstein sex-trafficking case and pipe bombs discovered in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from a combination of Bongino’s public resignation statement posted on social media. This story was reported from Los Angeles.