From Secret Service agent to FBI deputy director: The career of Dan Bongino
In short: Dan Bongino transitioned from a career in law enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service to becoming a prominent conservative media personality. In 2025, he took on a high-profile role as deputy director of the FBI, a position he held for less than a year before returning to his broadcasting roots.
Born in 1974 in Queens, New York, Dan Bongino began his professional life as an NYPD officer in 1995. He later joined the U.S. Secret Service in 1999, eventually serving on the Presidential Protection Division during the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. After leaving the agency in 2011, he pursued multiple unsuccessful bids for Congress and the U.S. Senate, while simultaneously building a significant media presence as a podcaster and radio host.
In February 2025, President Donald Trump appointed Bongino as the 20th deputy director of the FBI. Unlike the FBI director, this role did not require Senate confirmation. During his tenure, which began on March 17, 2025, Bongino focused on reopening several high-profile investigations, including the 2021 pipe bomb incidents at the RNC and DNC headquarters and the 2022 leak of the Supreme Court's Dobbs draft opinion. His time at the bureau was marked by controversy, including his briefing of Republican senators regarding the FBI's past collection of their phone records during the 2023 Arctic Frost investigation.
Bongino's leadership was frequently debated. While Attorney General Pam Bondi credited him and Director Patel with the December 2025 arrest of a suspect in the pipe bomb case, other officials disputed the claim that the investigation had previously languished. Bongino resigned from his post on January 3, 2026, citing a desire to return to his media career. By August 2026, he had resumed his broadcasting work, launching new programs with Westwood One while continuing his podcast on Rumble.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Dan Bongino
- Also: Wikidata — Dan Bongino · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — The Dan Bongino Show · CC0
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