U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed Dan Bongino, a former television host and ex-Secret Service agent, as the Deputy Director of the FBI.
Trump announced the appointment on Sunday evening in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. He described Bongino as a person who "incredibly and passionately" loves the United States. Trump referred to Bongino's appointment as "great news for law enforcement and American justice."
The 49-year-old Bongino will work under Kash Patel, who was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the FBI Director. He was sworn in on Friday. The Deputy position does not require Senate confirmation.
Bongino began his career as a New York City police officer in 1995. From 1999 to 2011, he served as an agent in the U.S. Secret Service. However, he has no experience working with the FBI. Later, Bongino ran for Congress three times as a Republican, though unsuccessfully.
Bongino frequently appeared on Fox News programs but announced on April 20, 2023, that he parted ways with Fox News, citing unsuccessful contract negotiations. He has also commented on the conspiracy theory site InfoWars.
In one of his recent statements, Bongino praised Patel's appointment and criticized Democrats who opposed his nomination. According to Bongino, the new FBI Director "came for one reason: to bring order here." Patel himself has expressed a desire to implement significant changes within the FBI, particularly focusing more on crime fighting rather than intelligence gathering.