NEW VIDEO: Trump Reveals Why Bongino Is Leaving

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced Dec. 17 that he will leave the bureau in January, ending a turbulent tenure of less than a year as the FBI’s second-in-command. His exit follows reports of internal friction with Attorney General Pam Bondi over how the Justice Department handled the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files.

MS NOW reported that Bongino had been telling associates he planned to leave early next year and had begun clearing out his office, a claim later cited by USA Today.

President Donald Trump appeared to confirm Bongino’s departure before Bongino addressed it publicly. In a post on X, Bongino thanked Trump, Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel for what he described as the opportunity to serve.

“Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you,” Bongino wrote.

Trump praised Bongino when asked about him by reporters on Dec. 17.

“Dan did a great job,” Trump said, adding that Bongino wanted to return to his show.

Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and New York City police officer, rose to national prominence as host of The Dan Bongino Show, becoming a leading voice among supporters of Trump’s Make America Great Again movement.

🚨 DAN BONGINO is LEAVING the FBI

“Dan did a GREAT JOB,” President Trump said.

Bongino is an absolute patriot. Thank you for your service, sir 🫡 pic.twitter.com/7NLXZoePrq

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 17, 2025

Since March, Bongino helped oversee a sweeping overhaul of federal law enforcement as Trump-appointed leaders moved to reshape the FBI and Justice Department. After Patel was installed as FBI director and Bongino as his deputy, several senior bureau officials were removed, including a former acting FBI director and other leaders accused by the administration of politicizing the agency.

Some of those officials later filed a federal lawsuit alleging unlawful termination.

Before joining the bureau, Bongino was a frequent and outspoken critic of the FBI and DOJ, particularly over their handling of the Epstein case. He publicly questioned whether Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges and suggested a cover-up to protect powerful figures.

After taking office, Dan Bongino said he reviewed FBI materials and concluded that Epstein died by suicide and did not maintain a client list. In July, the FBI and Justice Department announced they would not release additional Epstein files following what they called an exhaustive review, a decision that angered many of Bongino’s longtime supporters.

I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January.
I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director 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…

— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) December 17, 2025

Subsequent media reports said Bongino clashed with Bondi over the decision and considered resigning. MAGA influencer Laura Loomer claimed on X that both Bongino and Patel were furious with the Justice Department’s handling of the matter.

Bongino also faced renewed scrutiny earlier this month after authorities arrested a suspect in the Jan. 6, 2021 pipe bombing case, an arrest that undercut Bongino’s earlier media commentary suggesting the incident may have been an inside job.

Addressing the shift from pundit to law enforcement official, Bongino told Fox News host Sean Hannity that his role had fundamentally changed.

He said that as deputy director, investigations must be driven by facts, not commentary.

In August, the White House announced that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey would serve as a second deputy FBI director, a move widely viewed by bureau observers as a sign that Bongino’s standing inside the administration had weakened.

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