Dan Bongino to Leave Top FBI Post amid Epstein Pressure as Trump Says He ‘Wants to Go Back’ to His Podcast

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced that he plans to leave the bureau in January.

“I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose,” Bongino, 51, wrote on X on Wednesday, Dec. 17. “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.”

Rumors about Bongino’s departure had circulated for months. Earlier Wednesday, MS Now reported that he told confidants he intended to formally step down in January and did not plan to return to FBI headquarters in December. The outlet also reported that some of Bongino’s personal belongings had been removed from his office.

“Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show,” President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday, according to The Hill.

Trump, 79, nominated Bongino for the deputy director role in February, and Bongino served under FBI Director Kash Patel. Bongino previously worked as a U.S. Secret Service agent before becoming a right-wing podcaster; like Patel, he did not have prior experience as an FBI agent.

His announced departure follows months of controversy surrounding the Trump administration’s handling of evidence connected to Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 child sex-trafficking case. The potential release of additional materials from the case had been a prominent campaign issue in last year’s election.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Patel both said they would release more information after joining the administration. On July 7, the DOJ and FBI issued a joint memo stating their review of Epstein’s alleged crimes and his death in custody was complete. The memo also said investigators found that a long-rumored “client list” did not exist.

Multiple major outlets later reported that the memo contributed to tensions between Bongino and Bondi. NBC News quoted a source familiar with Bongino’s reaction as saying: “Bongino is out of control furious. This destroyed his career. He’s threatening to quit and torch Pam unless she’s fired.”

Multiple outlets also reported that Bongino missed days of work, refusing to return while Bondi remained in the administration.

CNN reported that the situation “infuriated” Trump, though the network said he had cooled off by the time he spoke with reporters on July 13.

Speculation about Bongino’s future also intensified in August, when Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey was selected as the FBI’s co-deputy director.

On Nov. 19, Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law, ordering the release of the Epstein files after the legislation passed the House and Senate by near-unanimous votes.

On Nov. 30, a report critical of Patel’s first six months as FBI director surfaced, including scrutiny of both Patel’s and Bongino’s use of social media. Patel did not publicly address the report, but Bongino appeared to respond indirectly in a Dec. 1 post on X.

“A LOT of people are very upset at the changes and reforms we’ve made at the FBI,” Bongino wrote. “They will do anything to revert to the old ways of doing things. So they leak gossipy nonsense to media outlets and ‘journalists’ with a clear agenda, and they ignore the historic results and the significant reforms we instituted.”

“Judge the results. I work for you, not for headlines,” he added. “Thanks for your support during my time in the FBI, I really appreciate it.”