Dan Bongino had it about as good as any ex-Secret Service guy could have it.
His podcast consistently ranked near the top, reaching #1 after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, making his experience as a Secret Service agent particularly relevant. His Bongino Report website did well, and he had carved out a powerful niche in the conservative commentary infosphere.
When President Trump was reelected, it was natural to expect that Bongino might land a position in it. He was deeply connected with the Trump team, and most of us think that landing a job in a presidential administration would be a feather in your cap. And it is for most people. It can be a ticket to success for many–especially for relatively obscure politicians or staffers who suddenly get to bask in the glow of the president, or for businessmen who can gain even more prestige and connections.
But for somebody like Bongino? Not so much. If anything, once he is out of his position as Assistant FBI Director, he will have to rebuild. He is walking away from millions of dollars a year, losing touch with his audience, and losing luster with some as he works in the trenches and deals with the limitations of working within an enormous, resistant bureaucracy.
When people are asked how they’re doing, the default answer is to say “OK” and move on.
When they are actually honest about it, people should listen.
What @FBIDDBongino has given up in pursuit of country is immeasurable. Both financial and, more important, personal. There is no… pic.twitter.com/ISFYehM6lX
— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) May 29, 2025
What @FBIDDBongino has given up in pursuit of country is immeasurable. Both financial and, more important, personal. There is no greater sacrifice that anyone can make beyond time with family.
But everyone needs to remember who Dan is, what he is sacrificed, and how frustrating it must be for him as well.
When someone is a bad faith actor, like a Comey, you can impute ill intentions.
But when someone is a proven good-faith actor, any professional criticism should not be confounded with impugning integrity
We all have high expectations of Dan, which is both his blessing and a curse.
We should all keep the administrations’s feet to the fire.
But remember not to treat friends like enemies.
It’s easy enough for those of us on the outside to scream, “Do this!” and expect it to get done. But the reality is that the FBI is an enormous bureaucracy with nearly 40,000 people, mostly unionized, politically connected, prone to #resistance, and with a lot of sheer, elephantine momentum. And, as you can see with the trouble that Trump is having with judicial resistance, you have to tread carefully.
And worst of all, there are so many fires to put out that you have to triage them. Both the normal, day-to-day saving lives/preventing disaster/prosecuting vicious criminals fires, and the abnormal ones have to do with an organization that tries to control who runs the country illegally.
Bongino and Patel took a lot of grief for announcing their conclusion that Jeffrey Epstein killed himself, and no doubt, they will take even more heat over the next few years as they disappoint or undermine the priors of people who expect outcomes other than what they can provide.
For YEARS Kash Patel & Dan Bongino have called people “crazy to believe Epstein killed himself” and now that they’ve been in the club for about 40 seconds they release a joint statement like it’s open and shut, nothing weird at all about it at all, he 100% did end his own life.. pic.twitter.com/nr085xxpxT
— TheQuartering (@TheQuartering) May 18, 2025
You can see in that Fox and Friends video clip how badly it stung to take that incoming fire, and you can see why. For many, taking the FBI job would have been a big step up for their career, and a ticket to future success. It would be hitting the big time and ensure that opportunities would follow.
Not for Bongino. It’s not just the pay cut right now, but a substantial hit to his earnings potential because he is risking what he has built. He is separated from his young family, working 14-hour days, taking fire from all sides, and forced to disappoint his biggest fans.
And for what? The answer is simple enough, and the same as for every special operator, Secret Service agent, and first responder: doing the right thing–answering the call.
Does that mean Bongino will always be right, or that we should trust him and Patel 100%? Obviously not.
But it should earn him a lot of grace. It’s hard to see the motivation for him to begin covering up for the machine.
As I wrote in my post on the Epstein announcement, I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt to Patel and Bongino because they have earned it. And, as you can see, if there is one thing Bongino has no problem with, it is revealing what’s in his heart. How many FBI Assistant Directors could you imagine spilling their guts like that?
So, from me, thanks, Dan Bongino!
