Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said he plans to resume conservative commentary and urged supporters to focus on what he called the movement’s “foundational principles” ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, after leaving the bureau following a short stint in the Trump administration.
Dan Bongino, the former FBI deputy director under President Donald Trump, said he is preparing to return to conservative media and take aim at voices he blames for division on the right.
In a post on X on Monday, Bongino said he would soon announce the date of his return to podcasting after spending time with his family, and argued that conservatives should prioritize unity heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
“I started in this movement as a candidate during the Tea Party movement, and I began my political commentary career shortly thereafter,” Bongino wrote. “I helped build this movement and I sure as hell am not going to let it get hijacked by a group of black-pillers, life-losers, grifters and bums.”
Bongino also described conservatism as a movement “guided by truth” and said he intended to “restore balance,” while rejecting what he framed as unproductive attacks within the right.
Bongino’s comments came weeks after he announced on December 17 that he would leave the FBI and thanked Trump, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Attorney General Pam Bondi for the opportunity to serve. The Daily Wire reported that his final day on the job was Saturday.
Patel praised Bongino after his departure, saying the bureau had made gains on public safety priorities and crediting Bongino’s leadership and support.
Bongino’s planned media return arrives amid broader arguments within conservative politics, including disputes tied to the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. The Daily Wire reported that Bongino, Patel, and Bondi faced criticism after concluding that no Epstein “client list” existed.
The same report pointed to tensions aired at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest last month, where Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro criticized what he called “grifters” on the right, naming Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens.
Bongino, in his Monday post, urged critics to move on if they believed the administration’s agenda was failing, writing that with much of Trump’s term remaining, conservatives should focus on elections rather than constant internal attacks.
