Executive Summary

The FBI Deputy Director position has long been filled by seasoned FBI Supervisory Special Agents and has been considered the lead workhorse position over the Bureau’s lower ranks and daily operations. Dan Bongino’s unilateral appointment to the role by President Trump marks a significant ideological shift, breaking from the Bureau’s 117-year tradition of promoting from within, and it violates FBI Director Kash Patel’s promise during his congressional confirmation hearings to fill the slot with a veteran Bureau supervisory agent. 

Bongino—a former Secret Service agent for a little more than a decade, a repeat failed congressional candidate, and an outspoken conservative podcaster—has frequently criticised the FBI’s handling of key investigations as an outside observer. His profile fuels concerns about his fitness for the job, his ability to avoid politicisation of the position, and the potential for his insertion, fuelling quiet internal resistance from career Bureau agents who have significantly more experience than their new boss. His clear loyalty to President Trump lays the groundwork for him to shift the FBI’s focus towards partisan-fuelled internal reviews, potentially detracting from the Bureau’s core national security mission.

Images Sourced From: Gage Skidmore

Profile

Early Life, Family, and Education

1. Born in 1974 in New York City and raised in Queens. He is of Italian descent.
2. He graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School, a Catholic all-male high school in Jamaica, Queens.
3. In 1992, he attended Queens College, going on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology. He later earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Pennsylvania State University.
4. Bongino is married to Paula Andrea, and they have two daughters, Isabel and Amelia. [source]

Professional Career

1. Career began as a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer, serving from 1995 to 1999. 
2. In 1999, Bongino joined the Secret Service, serving as an agent until 2011. After working in the New York Field Office, he joined the Presidential Protection Division under Presidents Bush and Obama. Additionally, his career included high-profile roles in security, investigations, leadership, and training.
3. In 2012, Bongino ran as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Maryland but lost in the general election. He also ran for Congress in 2014 and 2016 but was unsuccessful.
4. In 2015, Bongino launched The Dan Bongino Podcast, now one of the most popular political programs in the U.S. 
5. Bongino gradually transitioned into a media personality and became a prominent conservative commentator, with his radio and news appearances establishing him as a strong advocate for conservative values and law enforcement. His show has consistently ranked low in factuality and high in right-leaning bias on several media literacy evaluation tools. [source, source]

Politics, Personality, and Experiences

1. Bongino became a vocal supporter of Donald Trump during his first presidency, frequently praising him on Fox News. Trump reportedly took notice, often tweeting about Bongino and discussing him in the White House during his first term.
2. Strong critic of the FBI, citing his opinion that it is “irredeemably corrupt,” advocating for major reforms within federal law enforcement agencies.
3. Bongino has authored books addressing conspiracies like the “deep state” and the “failed takedown of Trump.”
4. Accused of spreading misinformation on topics such as the Mueller investigation, COVID-19, and the 2020 election. Named a “superspreader of election misinformation” by Avaaz after amplifying Trump’s false claims of election fraud. Permanently banned from YouTube in 2022 for violating COVID-19 misinformation policies. [source]
5. Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2020, underwent chemotherapy, and is currently in remission.
6. Bongino is perceived as resilient and strong-minded. [source]
7. Net worth is approximately USD $150 million. [source]