FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has formally announced that he is leaving his position.
Bongino had reportedly been telling colleagues he intended to depart early in the new year, and the NY Post had reported that Bongino was seen “packing up his belongings and bidding adieu to his team,” seemingly confirming rumors that he was heading for the exit.
On Wednesday, he made it official in an X post.
“I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January,” he wrote on the social media site.
“I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose,” he added. “Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you.
God bless America, and all those who defend Her. 🇺🇸”
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
Trump commented on rumors of Bongino’s exit, saying, “Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show.”
BREAKING 🚨President Trump just Confirmed Dan Bongino is leaving the FBI to go back to his show
WE HAVE YOUR BACK DAN pic.twitter.com/X1vIoMgjk2
— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) December 17, 2025
Bongino had hosted a conservative radio show and podcast for years.
Trump appointed Bongino to the role of deputy director in February.
His reason for leaving has been the source of much speculation. The Hill reports:
Bongino has reportedly had misgivings about the job since at least July, when he clashed with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the handling of the Epstein files. Bongino reportedly weighed quitting at the time amid frustration with the lack of transparency in the case.
A longtime critic of the FBI during his years as a commentator, Bongino also at turns seemed deflated by information he learned once inside the bureau.
As deputy director, he backed away from some of the conspiracy theories he previously pushed, including that Epstein didn’t kill himself.
“The evidence we have in our files clearly indicates that it was, in fact, a suicide,” Bongino said in June. “There’s nothing there in the file at all that indicates anything other than in fact a suicide.”
In comments to Fox News’s Sean Hannity earlier this month, Bongino said, “Listen I was paid in the past, Sean, for my opinions. That’s clear. And one day I will be back in that space, but that’s not what I’m paid for now. I’m paid to be your deputy director, and we base investigations on facts.”
Many people have responded to his announcement with praise and appreciation, and some have suggested that he should “spill the beans” about what he has now learned.
Called it.
Now bring the podcast back and spill the beans 👀🎙️— Jessica Rojas 🇺🇸💪 (@catsscareme2021) December 17, 2025
The next deputy director may be teed up, according to a source who spoke to the NY Post. From the Post:
A different source said that it’s understood that Bongino’s co-deputy director Andrew Bailey, who gained his position in September, will take on the full traditional duties of the deputy role.
Bailey was Missouri attorney general between 2023 and 2025 and helped lead a failed Supreme Court challenge to federal pressure on social media companies to censor alleged disinformation, which supporters had hoped would produce a landmark First Amendment ruling.
FBI deputy directors typically manage day-to-day operations in the bureau — with the Biden-era deputy director Paul Abbate wielding such significant influence that some insiders viewed then-Director Christopher Wray as a mere figurehead.
Colleague @davidspunt notes->
Andrew Bailey (co-deputy director) has been on the job since September and will stay on for now in the deputy role reporting to @FBI Director Kash Patel.https://t.co/IDoHgGZ7C8
— Mike Emanuel 🇺🇸 (@MikeEmanuelFox) December 17, 2025
