Top Trump Official Resigns From Office

A senior Trump administration official is preparing to step down, marking the end of a short but closely watched tenure inside one of the federal government’s most powerful agencies.

President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino will be leaving his post in the near future, signaling a voluntary departure after months of speculation about his future inside the bureau.

“Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show,” Trump told reporters, referring to Bongino’s previous career as a media personality.

Multiple sources familiar with the matter say Bongino is expected to exit in the coming weeks, with some indicating the move could take place early in the new year. While rumors circulated that Bongino had already cleared out his office, one source pushed back on that characterization, noting that it had long been understood internally that his role was not intended to be permanent.

Bongino, 51, was appointed deputy director earlier this year under FBI Director Kash Patel, becoming one of the most unconventional figures to ever hold the position. The job has historically been filled by career FBI agents who spend decades working their way up through the bureau’s ranks. Bongino, by contrast, arrived after years as a prominent commentator with a massive online following.

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD – MARCH 6, 2014: Congressional candidate Dan Bongino speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

A former New York City police officer and U.S. Secret Service agent, Bongino built a lucrative media career after leaving government service, hosting a popular radio show and podcast while regularly appearing on Fox News. He amassed millions of followers by fiercely defending Trump and criticizing the FBI and Justice Department from the outside.

That transition from critic to senior leader inside the bureau was not without friction.

Bongino reportedly clashed with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the handling of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Bondi issued a memo concluding that no additional disclosures were warranted and that the files did not support investigations into uncharged individuals. Bongino, who had previously demanded greater transparency on the issue, was said to be deeply frustrated by the decision and at one point weighed leaving the job altogether.

Once inside the FBI, Bongino publicly reversed some of the claims he had made during his time as a commentator. He acknowledged that the bureau’s records supported the conclusion that Epstein died by suicide in 2019, backing away from earlier speculation that had fueled widespread distrust on the right.

“The evidence we have in our files clearly indicates that it was, in fact, a suicide,” Bongino said during a television interview this summer.

He made similar remarks regarding the long-running investigation into the pipe bombs planted near the Republican and Democratic National Committee offices ahead of January 6, 2021. After a suspect was arrested and charged earlier this month, Bongino emphasized that investigations must be guided by evidence, not commentary.

“I was paid in the past for my opinions,” he said during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. “I’m paid to be your deputy director, and we base investigations on facts.”

Sources say Bongino also grew frustrated with the demanding nature of the job and the toll it took on his personal life. Inside the FBI, there had been growing signs that his responsibilities were being scaled back, with co-deputy director Andrew Bailey increasingly taking on day-to-day operational duties.

Bailey, a former Missouri attorney general, is expected to assume full responsibility for the role once Bongino departs.

Trump expressed continued confidence in the FBI’s leadership and offered warm praise for Bongino’s service, making clear there was no falling out behind the decision.

For Bongino, the move appears to close a brief chapter in government and reopen the door to the media world that made him a household name among conservative voters.