TRUE

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.