President of the United States (U.S.) Donald Trump has appointed commentator Dan Bongino as the deputy director of the FBI.
Trump announced on social media that Bongino is “a man of incredible love and passion for our country” and that he will serve as the deputy to the recently appointed FBI director, Kash Patel.
The 50-year-old Bongino previously worked for the New York police and the Secret Service, where he was part of the team protecting U.S. presidents George Bush and Barack Obama.
His appointment, which does not require Senate confirmation, means that neither of the two highest-ranking officials at the helm of the agency has prior experience in the FBI. The deputy director, who is responsible for overseeing all domestic and international operations, is typically a career agent with many years of experience.
Bongino hosts the daily podcast The Dan Bongino Show, whose posts on Facebook often attract more attention than those of Fox News and CNN combined.
In a broadcast aired on Friday, Bongino spoke about the FBI, praising Patel and attempting to ease concerns among Democrats that the agency could be used to target Trump’s political opponents.
“Kash Patel is here for one reason – he’s here to make the Bureau great again,” Bongino said.
He emphasized his commitment to fighting crime and nothing else, describing his new boss as a “change agent” the Bureau needs.
In his social media post on Sunday, Trump said that Bongino would step away from his podcast, adding that he would help restore fairness, justice, law, and order.
Bongino, who has run for Congress three times, hosted Trump on his podcast ahead of last year’s elections.
