Dan Bongino, a right-wing commentator, claims on his podcast that he will soon prove the pipe bombs found near the Capitol on January 6, 2021, were an “inside job,” despite the FBI’s inability to identify a suspect after years of investigation. As the incoming deputy director of the FBI, Bongino emphasizes his commitment to align with Trump’s vision for the agency, focusing on radical reform and dismissing the agency’s current practices. Known for spreading misinformation, he gained prominence during the 2020 election by promoting baseless claims about election fraud and the FBI’s investigations into Trump. He remains determined to engage in political commentary through his podcast.
In a recent episode of his immensely popular podcast, right-wing commentator Dan Bongino claimed he would soon demonstrate that the pipe bombs discovered near the Capitol on January 6, 2021, were “an inside job” and that “the F.B.I. is aware of the individual’s identity.”
This unfounded theory has gained traction among right-leaning circles; in reality, the F.B.I. has yet to identify a suspect despite several years of investigation and a $500,000 reward. Nevertheless, Mr. Bongino expressed absolute confidence that the incoming F.B.I. director, Kash Patel, would soon disclose this information.
“We’re in charge now,” he whispered with excitement.
His conspiratorial perspective, typical of his show, vividly illustrates how he might approach the No. 2 position at the F.B.I. As deputy director, he will effectively act as the chief operating officer of the most prominent law enforcement agency in the U.S., overseeing some of the nation’s most sensitive investigations. This role will grant him access to extensive amounts of classified intelligence, as well as the daily influx of rumors, speculations, and erroneous allegations that F.B.I. agents receive from informants and the public.
While discussing his upcoming role on Monday, Mr. Bongino, a former political candidate who gained notoriety as a combative, always-online supporter of Trump, was emotional, recognizing that joining the highest levels of the bureau would necessitate a change in approach.
“We assume different roles in our lives, each requiring a distinct set of skills,” he stated, affirming that he is “cleareyed” about the vision held by Mr. Trump, Mr. Patel, and Attorney General Pam Bondi for the F.B.I. “I will do my utmost to bring that vision to life.”
Just days before, Mr. Bongino provided a glimpse into that vision, broadcasting a clip of senior White House adviser Stephen Miller asserting, “The existential threat to democracy is the unelected bureaucracy.”
Mr. Miller remarked that Americans “vote for radical F.B.I. reform, yet F.B.I. agents state they do not desire change.” His message was clear: Mr. Trump will succeed in fundamentally altering the F.B.I.
Mr. Bongino has long advocated for such transformations within the bureau.
He has called for the dismantling of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which addresses terrorism and espionage matters. His skepticism stems from an error-filled application submitted by the F.B.I. in trying to surveil a former Trump campaign policy adviser with Russian ties during 2016 and 2017. He has also demanded the dismissal of all F.B.I. agents involved in the court-approved search of Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
“What the F.B.I. did to Donald Trump was not law enforcement; it was tyranny,” he declared in 2022.
Mr. Bongino, 50, a former New York City police officer and Secret Service agent, represents a significant departure from F.B.I. history due to his relatively limited experience within the agency. For over a century, the role of deputy director has typically been filled by a seasoned special agent familiar with the bureau’s internal workings.
His rise within conservative media has been fueled by what critics describe as a tendency to spread misinformation regarding the pandemic, the 2020 election, and the F.B.I.
In 2022, he faced a ban from YouTube for repeatedly breaching the platform’s policies regarding coronavirus misinformation, including a video stating that masks were ineffective.
Mr. Bongino launched his podcast in 2015 and worked at Fox News as well as the now-defunct streaming service of the National Rifle Association, but it was only after the 2020 election that he rose to prominence in right-wing commentary.
In the same year, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, undergoing surgery and chemotherapy.
He soon emerged as one of the most vocal skeptics of Joseph R. Biden’s electoral victory.
When Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, appeared on Mr. Bongino’s show in November 2020, he made a sensational claim that voting software from Dominion Voting Systems was being secretly manipulated.
“Our votes are essentially being counted by Venezuelans,” Mr. Giuliani asserted.
“That’s absurd,” responded Mr. Bongino. Regardless of or perhaps because of such unfounded statements, Mr. Bongino’s popularity skyrocketed as his podcasts and online content consistently propagated doubts about the election results.
(Separately, Dominion, inundated with election-related misinformation, filed a lawsuit against Fox News, alleging the network spread harmful conspiracies. The network subsequently reached a $787.5 million settlement with the company.)
Last week, Mr. Bongino ranted about several topics, even giving his listeners tips on how to escape if a potential assailant attempted to strangle them.
He also revisited a recurring topic — the F.B.I.’s investigation into whether the 2016 Trump campaign colluded with Russia to sway the presidential election.
In his shows and in his book titled “Spygate,” Mr. Bongino has maintained, echoing Mr. Trump, that the entire investigation was a facade intended to undermine Mr. Trump’s political aspirations.
“I don’t wish to move on” from that investigation, Mr. Bongino asserted last week. “I seek to uncover what transpired to ensure it never occurs again.”
On Monday, he reassured his audience that he wasn’t finished sharing his thoughts on politics, government, and cultural issues; he intends to continue podcasting this week.