Dan Bongino, the rightwing commentator and podcaster who has promoted conspiracy theories around the 2020 election result and US Capitol attack, has been picked by President Donald Trump as deputy director of the FBI.
Bongino, who hosts a popular pro-Trump podcast and has appeared regularly on Fox News, will serve under Kash Patel, who was sworn in as the ninth director of the US’s top federal law enforcement agency last week.
Bongino was one of the rightwing podcasters who, alongside the likes of Joe Rogan, was considered instrumental by media commentators in helping Trump reach the White House last year.
The former Secret Service agent has used his podcast, The Dan Bongino Show, to discuss conspiracy theories about the January 6 2021 attack on the Capitol, including raising questions over FBI involvement. He was suspended from YouTube in 2022 after posting misinformation around the use of masks in the prevention of the spread of Covid-19.
Bongino has hosted Trump on his daily podcast, and has regularly promoted the president while frequently attacking “libs” and former leader Joe Biden, calling him “the worst president in US history”. He was also one of the commentators who actively challenged the result of the 2020 presidential contest, which Trump lost to Biden.
Trump said on Sunday night that Bongino would be appointed to the role by Patel. The president called him “a man of incredible love and passion for our Country”, saying on Sunday that he was “willing and prepared to give up” his podcast “in order to serve”.
The FBI’s new second-in-command said on social media: “Thank you Mr President, Attorney General [Pam] Bondi, and Director Patel.” His appointment does not need to be confirmed by the Senate.
Bongino has worked for the New York police department and in the protection detail for presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama. He has also made three unsuccessful runs for Congress.
The move will add to Democrats’ fears that the president could target his political opponents by strengthening his hold on the principal federal law enforcement agency.
The FBI’s deputy director is traditionally a post given to a career agent, rather than a political ally of the president, to help the director with running the agency day-to-day.
Bongino was a vocal critic of the protection around Trump during the assassination attempt last year.
Bongino, alongside online influencers such as Adin Ross and the Nelk Boys, were credited with mobilising the younger, “bro-culture” voters for Trump, with their YouTube channels and podcasts garnering millions of views and billions more as clips across social media.
Chris Pavlovski, chief executive of Rumble, the video-sharing platform that has hosted Bongino’s videos since 2020, said that Bongino would step back as content creator while he served at the FBI. Bongino is also a shareholder in Rumble.
Pavlovski described Bongino as “a pioneer and a free speech warrior”. Rumble said that it looked “forward to his return when this next phase of his service to his country concludes”.