Trump names podcaster Dan Bongino to be second-in-command at FBI

President Donald Trump announced late Sunday that he was naming former Fox News personality Dan Bongino as deputy FBI director, the latest in a series of controversial picks for high-profile law enforcement positions.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump touted Bongino’s credentials as a former New York police officer, U.S. Secret Service agent and podcaster. Bongino, a longtime Trump ally and media personality who pushed Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, also thanked the president on social media Sunday night.

The deputy director appointment does not require Senate confirmation. Now-FBI Director Kash Patel — a critic of the agency’s past investigations into Trump — was confirmed last week despite opposition from two Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine), and all Democrats. Past FBI directors have typically received bipartisan support, while past deputy directors of the bureau have typically been career FBI agents.

Bongino is perhaps best known for his podcast, “The Dan Bongino Show.” In a recent episode, Bongino praised Patel’s ascendance to the top of the agency and slammed Democrats who had opposed his nomination, saying the new director was “there for one reason: to clean this place up.”

He is the latest unconventional — and controversial — Trump pick for a top law enforcement position. Trump previously nominated former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for attorney general, though Gaetz withdrew from the nomination process with a House ethics investigation pertaining to alleged drug use and sexual misconduct hanging over him. Trump then nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for the role; she was confirmed.