OAN Staff Blake Wolf
5:35 PM – Wednesday, December 17, 2025
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has announced plans to step down from his position at the bureau just eight months after serving in the role.
In an X post on Wednesday, Bongino officially broke the news, announcing, “I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January.”
“I want to thank President Trump, [Attorney General Pam] Bondi, and [FBI Director Kash] Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose. 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,” Bongino added.
President Trump also spoke on Bongino’s departure, telling reporters on Wednesday, “Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show,” referring to Bongino’s radio show and podcast.
Prior to joining the FBI, Bongino served as a New York City police officer and a Secret Service agent, before becoming a prominent conservative commentator, in which he frequently discussed the need to dismantle the “deep state.”
On his podcast and other media appearances, Bongino had promoted the idea that the pipe bombs placed near the Democrat and Republican National Committee buildings the night before the January 6th Capitol protests might have been part of a “cover-up” or “inside job” and that the FBI knew more than it was revealing.
However, after being appointed FBI Deputy Director, Bongino publicly distanced himself from those earlier conspiracy theories. When pressed about his past remarks after a suspect’s arrest in the pipe bomb case, he described his earlier commentary as opinions from his time as a media personality and said that in his current role he bases investigations on facts.
On notorious pedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Bongino had also suggested that the official narrative of Epstein’s death being ruled a suicide was unlikely due to several abnormalities, such as the guards being asleep, the cameras malfunctioning, and the lack of cell checks. However, he later backtracked and affirmed that Epstein did in fact commit suicide after “reviewing the case file.”
“I’ve seen the whole file. He killed himself,” Bongino said. While explaining the apparent shift in tone, he also noted that he was “paid in the past” for his “opinions.”
“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,” he added.
Bongino reportedly considered leaving the FBI in July after an apparent intense disagreement with Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the documents pertaining to Epstein.
According to a New York Post report, Bongino’s co-deputy director, Andrew Bailey, is expected to step up and take on the full traditional duties of the bureau’s deputy director, which have historically centered around oversight of day-to-day operations.
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