Dan Bongino stepped away from public service on Sunday after serving less than a year as deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to Fox News, Bongino announced on X that Saturday marked his final day at the bureau before resuming “civilian life.”
“It’s been an incredible year thanks to the leadership and decisiveness of President Trump. It was the honor of a lifetime to work with Director Patel, and to serve you, the American people. See you on the other side,” he wrote.
The former radio host and author had first taken the position in March, leaving a career in media behind to join the FBI’s senior leadership team. In mid-December, he had announced his plan to depart at the start of the new year.
President Donald Trump praised Bongino’s service, noting his desire to return to his media work. “Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show,” Trump told reporters.
During his tenure, Bongino participated in traditional law enforcement observances. The FBI said he paid respects at the Wall of Honor following his swearing-in ceremony, reflecting on agents who had “made the ultimate sacrifice and [the] legacy of those who paved the way in the pursuit of justice and security.”
Bongino previously spoke publicly about the personal cost of serving in the high-pressure role. In May, on Fox & Friends, he described long hours in isolation and the challenges of being away from his wife.
“I stare at these four walls all day in D.C., by myself, divorced from my wife — not divorced, but I mean separated — and it’s hard. I mean, we love each other, and it’s hard to be apart,” he said.
His exit leaves Andrew Bailey, who was appointed co-deputy director in September 2025, as the bureau’s remaining deputy director.
Bongino’s brief tenure underscores the challenges of transitioning from media and private life to the intense, high-stakes environment of senior FBI leadership. With his departure, he returns to the public eye on his own terms, leaving behind a year marked by both service and personal sacrifice.
