FACT CHECK #REV4Y4IV

WHAT WE FOUND

Dan Bongino officially served as the 20th Deputy Director of the FBI 8. He was appointed to the role by President Donald Trump in February 2025 1 3 and was subsequently sworn in at the bureau 4. During his tenure, he served as the second-in-command under FBI Director Kash Patel 10 11. Bongino’s appointment was controversial, drawing formal criticism from Senate Judiciary Democrats regarding his background as a political commentator and podcast host 5 9. In December 2025, Bongino announced his intention to leave the post, and he officially stepped down in January 2026 to return to his career in media 6 7 12.

SOURCES

1. 1 · thehill.comACADEMIC
   Trump on Bongino leaving FBI: 'I think he wants to go back to his show'

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2. 2 · snopes.comFACT-CHECKER
   Yes, Dan Bongino once wrote 'cold civil war' warning to 'scumbag ...

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3. 3 · politifact.comFACT-CHECKER
   Dan Bongino - PolitiFact

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4. 4 · fbi.govACADEMIC
   Deputy Director Bongino Swearing In - FBI

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5. 5 · judiciary.senate.govACADEMIC
   Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats Send Letter To Deputy Director ...

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6. 6 · bbc.comNEWS
   Dan Bongino stepping down as FBI deputy director - BBC

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7. 7 · reuters.comNEWS
   FBI Deputy Director Bongino says he will step down next month

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8. 8 · en.wikipedia.orgWEB
   Dan Bongino - Wikipedia

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9. 9 · pbs.orgWEB
   Conservative media personality, former Secret Service agent Dan ...

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10. 10 · propublica.orgWEB
    Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Screening for Dan Bongino, Senior Staff

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11. 11 · theindianalawyer.comWEB
    Ex-Secret Service agent and conservative media personality Dan ...

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12. 12 · abc3340.comWEB
    Dan Bongino returns to life as a private citizen upon FBI deputy ...

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