(Adnkronos) – Donald Trump has appointed Dan Bongino, a former Fox News host and now an ultra-conservative podcaster, as deputy head of the FBI, a position usually given to career agents of the federal bureau. Like Kash Patel, recently confirmed as head of the FBI, Bongino is known for his criticism of the agency and has in the past called for mass layoffs of federal agents.
“Dan Bongino, a man with incredible love and passion for our country, has been appointed the next deputy director of the FBI by the man who will be the best director ever, Kash Patel,” Trump wrote on social media announcing the appointment of Bongino, which does not require Senate confirmation.
A former Secret Service and New York police officer, Bongino ran unsuccessfully for Congress several times before embarking on a career as a far-right commentator, launching his own website, radio show and podcast, in 2019.
From his show, Bongino recently accused the FBI of lying when it announced it had not identified the person who planted explosive devices in front of Republican and Democratic Party headquarters shortly before the Jan. 6 assault.
In recent years, he went on to denounce “the abomination of the Justice Department and the FBI” regarding the investigation into Trump’s classified papers that led to the Mar-a-Lago search in 2022, calling for the immediate dismissal “from top to bottom” of those who participated in the investigation.
Bongino’s appointment is raising further concern within the intelligence community because of his total lack of experience in the field, the same objections and fears expressed, including by former Trump administration Attorney General Bill Barr, about Patel, recalls Nbcnews.
