deputy director of the fbi Dan Bongino announced he would step down from his high-profile role in the new year – and reportedly plans to return to Florida, where sources say he will resume his job as a pro-Trump broadcaster.
Bongino, 51, shared the news in a post on his X account shortly after rumors surfaced that he planned to leave the intelligence agency.
The father-of-two is open about the strain work has put on his marriage, and he thanks the president Donald Trumpminister of justice Pam Bundyand the Director of the F.B.I. Kashi Pateland then expressed his gratitude to the American people for allowing him to “serve.”
“I will be leaving my position at the FBI in January,” he wrote. “I want to thank President Trump, Director Bondi, and Director Patel for this opportunity to serve with purpose.
“Above all, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege of serving. God bless America, and all those who defend her.”
The New York Times reports that Washington, D.C., is rife with speculation about Bongino’s future at the FBI, with three insiders telling the outlet that he is ready to resign “as soon as this week or as late as mid-January.” Within hours, it was confirmed that he was leaving the FBI.
The insiders further claim that the father of two has begun packing up his office and “sending office knick-knacks and other items back to Florida,” where his wife is, Paulastill resides.
He reportedly told “colleagues” at the agency that he was considering announcing his departure at a press conference earlier this month amid news that a suspect had been arrested in the investigation into a pipe bomb planted in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riots.
However, no such announcement has been made – although MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) reports that Bongino, 51, has told FBI colleagues that he will not return to FBI headquarters for the rest of the month and will formally announce his resignation at the beginning of the new year.
“Bongino told his team and some senior FBI officials that he tentatively plans to announce his departure on December 19,” according to four people familiar with the matter. “Several people said that as of last week, some of Bongino’s personal belongings had been removed from his office.”
When Bongino was selected by President Trump to serve on FBI Director Patel’s staff in February, he was described by the commander-in-chief as an “incredible” person.
At the time, Trump, 79, gushed about Bongino’s commitment to the country in a post shared on his Truth social platform, praising him as a “man with incredible love and passion for our country.” He called the announcement “good news for law enforcement and American justice.”
However, the role seemed to take a toll on Bongino, who quit the popular conservative podcast “The Dan Bongino Show” to take a job with the FBI.
In May, on “Fox & Friends,” he admitted that he was struggling with life apart from his wife of more than 20 years, with whom he has two daughters, and explained that the separation felt like a “divorce” in some ways.
“I gave up everything for this. I mean, you know, my wife was struggling,” he said. “I’m not a victim, I’m not James ComeyI am fine. I did this and I’m proud that I did it. “
He added: “I stare at these four walls all day long in Washington and, you know, I’m divorced from my wife myself. Not divorced, but I mean, separated. It’s hard. We love each other and it’s hard to be apart.”
Bongino has pushed back against any suggestion that he and Patel were not working at full capacity, insisting the pair were in the office from early morning to late at night.
In an interview with a Fox News host and Florida residentSean HannityBongino joked that he would be returning to his previous role in the spotlight while trying to reassure his podcast fans that he had not changed his views or political stances beyond sharing them so publicly.
“Sean, I’ve been paid for my opinions in the past, obviously, and one day I’ll be back in that space,” he said. “But that’s not what I’m getting paid right now, I’m being paid to be your deputy chief, and our investigation is based on the facts.”
Prior to his role at the FBI, the political commentator enjoyed a lucrative career as a conservative activist, appearing on multiple news channels while also hosting his own podcast, which allowed him to amass a large following.
However, Trump’s decision to appoint Bongino as deputy director of the agency raised some eyebrows, largely because of his lack of national security experience compared to those who previously held the position.
Nonetheless, Bongino has extensive expertise in political executive branch work, having previously served as a member of the U.S. Secret Service under the President barack obama and George W. BushBefore he changed his views and became a popular Republican figure.
Bongino and his wife were living in Florida with their two children when he got the FBI job, which required him to move to the nation’s capital while his family stayed in the Sunshine State.
When the father of two sold his primary home in Florida for $3.65 million in March, he seemed ready to move into Washington, D.C., after previously listing the property in October 2024 for just under $4 million.
Records show Bongino and his spouse purchased the 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath home in Sewalls Point, Florida, in 2019 for $1.55 million.
It’s unclear whether the couple purchased a new property in Florida after selling the home.
The commentator also owns a home in Maryland, where the FBI announced it would move in 2023, but the Trump administration canceled those plans earlier this year.
Bongino worked in Maryland for a few years before moving to Florida and even ran for state Senate in 2012, a year after he resigned as a Secret Service agent. He joined the agency in 1999.
In 2002, he moved to Maryland, leaving his native New York City to serve as an instructor at the Secret Service Training Academy in Beltsville, Maryland.
Bongino has owned a home in Maryland since then, most recently purchasing a home in Severna Park in 2020 for $543,000.
