Trump names right-wing podcaster Dan Bongino as FBI deputy director
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Right-wing podcaster Dan Bongino has a record of spreading misinformation about the US election and the Covid-19 pandemic.
PHOTO: ERIN SCHAFF/NYTIMES
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump has announced the appointment of right-wing podcaster Dan Bongino as deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a break with tradition that puts yet another loyalist in a key law enforcement position.
Mr Bongino, a former New York police officer and US Secret Service agent, currently hosts a popular right-wing podcast and is a staunch backer of Mr Trump – whose political positions he has supported by spreading misinformation and whose opponents he regularly criticises on his show.
“Great news for law enforcement and American justice! Dan Bongino, a man of incredible love and passion for our country, has just been named the next deputy director of the FBI, by the man who will be the best ever director, Kash Patel,” said Mr Trump on his Truth Social platform on the night of Feb 23.
The role does not require Senate confirmation and would see Mr Bongino second-in-command at the country’s top law enforcement agency, working under Mr Patel.
Fact-checking websites have frequently cited Mr Bongino’s podcast for spreading misinformation regarding the 2020 US election, the Jan 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol and the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2022, he was “banned from both YouTube and Google’s ad service for pushing Covid-19 misinformation”, according to watchdog Media Matters for America.
On a recent episode of his podcast discussing a federal judge’s decision against a Trump administration policy, he recommended the Republican President “should ignore” the judge’s orders.
Mr Bongino’s eponymous podcast is ranked in the top 20 in the US by audience size, as per Edison Research and Podtrac.
In 2012, Mr Bongino ran for a US Senate seat in Maryland and later for congressional seats in Maryland and Florida. He was unsuccessful in all three races.
“My career has always been about service. I’m here to work. I’m here to lead. And I’m here to ensure that America’s law enforcement institutions uphold the values and integrity they were built upon,” Mr Bongino said in a statement on Feb 24.
Congratulating Mr Bongino on the appointment, Mr Patel described him as a “warrior”.
He said: “With Pam Bondi as our new attorney-general, we are assembling a team focused on restoring public trust, upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice is served.”
On the campaign trail, Mr Trump – who was convicted on 34 felony charges in May 2024 – frequently claimed he was being subjected to politically motivated criminal investigations and vowed to clear the house at the Justice Department and other agencies once he took office. AFP
