Dan Bongino announces his departure from the FBI

The deputy director of the FBI, Dan Bongino, will step down from his post in January, he confirmed Wednesday, ending a tenure of less than a year. The announcement comes after rumors surfaced about his possible departure from the agency.

"I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January," Bongino wrote in a post on the social network X. In the message, he thanked President Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director, Kash Patel, for the opportunity to serve, and expressed his gratitude to the American citizens "for the privilege to serve you."

Earlier in the day, Trump had hinted at the news while speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews. "Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show," the president said, without specifying a timetable for the departure.

From media figure to federal official.

Bongino built a broad career as a conservative commentator, with a radio show, a podcast and frequent appearances on Fox News. His public profile was cemented during Trump's first term, and he currently has nearly seven million followers on his personal X account.

Before joining the FBI, he used his media platforms to praise President Trump and consolidate a fan base within the conservative electorate.

Internal tensions and doubts about his continuity

According to different reports, Bongino began to express doubts about his tenure at least since July, when he had disagreements with Attorney General Bondi over the handling of files related to the Epstein case. In that context, he would have considered resigning due to frustrations linked to the handling of the matter.

Rumors of his departure intensified again in August, when then Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey was brought into the FBI to serve as deputy co-director.