Dan Bongino to Exit FBI Leadership for Return to Media Following Internal Tensions

2025-12-18 politics

Washington D.C., Wednesday, 17 December 2025.
President Trump has confirmed Deputy Director Dan Bongino is resigning to resume his media career. Reports indicate Bongino is already shipping office belongings to Florida, ending a tenure defined by ideological clashes and non-traditional leadership just months before the midterm election season.

Confirmation of Departure

On December 16, 2025, President Donald Trump formally confirmed the departure, stating his belief that Bongino “wants to go back to his show” [1][7]. While Bongino has indicated he will officially leave the post in January 2026, sources report that he has already begun clearing personal effects from his Washington, D.C. office as of the week of December 8 [1][3]. The move signals an end to an experiment in appointing a media personality to high-level law enforcement; Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and police officer, had no prior experience within the FBI before his February 2025 appointment [1][3].

Motivations for the Exit

The transition appears to be accelerated by both personal and professional factors. Bongino has reportedly told associates he intends to resume his broadcasting career in Florida in time for the 2026 midterm elections [2]. Privately, he has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the bureaucratic nature of the role, admitting in May 2025 that the position was straining his marriage and noting, “I don’t like it” [6][7].

Internal Rifts and the Epstein Files

Bongino’s exit coincides with heightened tensions regarding the Department of Justice’s handling of sensitive investigations. His resignation comes just days before a December 19 deadline for the Trump administration to release government files related to Jeffrey Epstein, mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act [3][7]. Throughout his tenure, Bongino found himself at odds with Attorney General Pam Bondi, particularly following a July 2025 joint FBI-DOJ memo which concluded that a rumored Epstein “client list” did not exist [3][8].

Clashing Narratives

The July conclusion directly contradicted speculations Bongino had promoted as a private citizen and podcaster [3][8]. The internal discord was significant enough that Bongino reportedly considered resigning in July after a heated exchange with Bondi over the matter [7][8]. While he later publicly stated that investigations must be based on facts, the friction over the Epstein narrative highlighted the challenges of integrating a partisan media figure into the bureau’s investigative structure [3][7].

A Bureau in Transition

The Deputy Director’s departure adds to a period of instability for the FBI’s leadership. Director Kash Patel has also faced scrutiny, recently drawing criticism for prematurely announcing an arrest connected to a shooting at Brown University on December 13, 2025—a suspect who was released hours later [4][7]. A report circulating earlier this month, citing current and former agents, described the agency under current leadership as a “rudderless ship,” reflecting broader morale issues within the bureau [5].

Political Timing and Legacy

Despite these controversies, Bongino attempted to align his exit with law enforcement successes. Reports suggest he considered timing his resignation announcement with the recent arrest of Brian Cole Jr., who was charged earlier in December with planting pipe bombs near the RNC and DNC headquarters on January 5, 2021 [1][2]. Bongino had previously characterized the pipe bomb incident as an “inside job” prior to joining the administration, a stance that complicated his role as the investigation proceeded under his watch [1][7].

Summary

As Bongino prepares to return to the media landscape, his roughly eleven-month tenure stands as a case study in the friction between political appointments and career law enforcement. His departure leaves a significant void at the top of the FBI just as the agency navigates intense scrutiny over its handling of politically sensitive cases and prepares for the pressures of an election year [1][2].

Sources

Law Enforcement Political Appointments