Encyclopedia · Biography
Dan Bongino
Former Secret Service agent, political commentator and FBI deputy director
Personal details
- Full name
- Daniel John Bongino
- Born
- December 4, 1974 · Queens, New York City
- Education
- City University of New York (B.A., M.A.); Pennsylvania State University (M.B.A.)
- Spouse
- Paula Bongino
- Children
- Two daughters
- Public service
- New York Police Department (1995–1999); Secret Service (1999–2011); FBI deputy director (March 2025–January 2026)
Dan Bongino is an American conservative political commentator, broadcaster and former law-enforcement officer. He worked for the NYPD and U.S. Secret Service, hosted The Dan Bongino Show, and served as deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under President Donald Trump from March 2025 until January 2026.
Early career and education
Born in Queens, Bongino earned degrees at the City University of New York and an M.B.A. at Penn State. He entered the New York Police Department in 1995 and joined the Secret Service in 1999. On its presidential protective division, he served during the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Politics and media
Bongino left the Secret Service in 2011 and ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in Maryland in 2012, for a Maryland House seat in 2014 and for a Florida House seat in 2016. He launched a political talk program and developed radio, podcast, Fox News and other distribution arrangements. His spouse Paula has been publicly described as participating in his media business; they have two daughters.
FBI service and return to broadcasting
Trump selected Bongino to serve as FBI deputy director in 2025 under FBI Director Kash Patel. Fox News describes his federal service as March 2025 to January 2026, followed by his return to the broadcaster and The Dan Bongino Show in February 2026. On February 18, 2026, Patel appeared as a guest on Bongino’s show. The interview demonstrates continued public contact after Bongino left the bureau; any assertions about internal FBI decision-making require separate records.
References
Research assembled from sources available as of November 13, 2026. Correctly dated records take priority over later summaries. Unresolved relationships are omitted from public-facing narrative.
Where this subject appears in The Story
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Documented connections
These are specifically described relationships in public records. A shared institution, appointment or event does not by itself demonstrate coordination or wrongdoing.
- Barack Obama (person) — Presidential protective detail during Obama administration · 2009–2011
- Donald Trump (person) — Appointed FBI deputy director under his administration · 2025–2026
- George W. Bush (person) — Presidential protective detail while Bush was in office · 2006–2009
- Kash Patel (person) — FBI director/deputy: Patel served as FBI director while Bongino was deputy director · 2025–January 2026
- Pam Bondi (person) — DOJ/FBI senior management: Bondi was attorney general when Bongino served as FBI deputy director; reported disputes over Epstein disclosures are attributed · 2025