The MAGA podcaster who was tapped to be the FBI’s second in command has chosen to be protected by as many as 20 agents—while his predecessors have often had no security detail at all, NBC News reported.
Last week, the agency put out an internal call for agents willing to sign up to abandon their ordinary duties and protect Deputy Director Dan Bongino 24 hours a day for month-long stints, unnamed FBI officials told NBC.
A pair of former FBI officials told the outlet that level of protection could require a score of agents, pulling man-power away from important law enforcement teams at the bureau.
Unlike most deputy directors, who are FBI agents, Bongino had no experience at the bureau before he was hired by President Donald Trump and the agency’s director, Kash Patel. Bongino, 50, has previously worked as a Secret Service agent and a New York City police officer, although most recently he has been a popular pro-MAGA online commentator. He hosted Trump on his show in October.
The endeavor goes against what Patel has said was a key goal of the FBI under his leadership: shifting agents from headquarters in Washington to field offices across the country, where he suggested they will be more effective at fighting crime.
Kash Patel arrives for a meeting with Sen. John Kennedy at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on December 11, 2024 in Washington, D.C. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
While it’s typical for FBI directors to have a security team made up of agents, deputy directors have typically not had one. Former and current officials told NBC that Bongino’s predecessor, Paul Abbate, was only assigned one agent for protection. He carried a service weapon and only had a full detail when he traveled overseas.
The officials said that Bongino’s current security follows him inside FBI buildings, where past deputy directors have usually walked alone.
While Bongino could apply to carry a gun of his own, he has instead opted to rely on a full protective detail, NBC reported.
A former agency official told NBC that the FBI is “always struggling to bring in personnel to meet their manning needs” for protective details. The agents pulled for this work often come from SWAT teams and sometimes the Hostage Rescue Team, the person said.
The FBI declined to comment to both NBC and the Daily Beast.
Frank Figliuzzi, a former FBI special agent who is now a contributor for NBC, called Bongino’s decision “ridiculous,” the outlet reported.
“The question is, what is the actual risk and threat here, or does he just want a detail?” he said. “This is taxpayer money we’re talking about.”
In a cryptic X post on Sunday, Bongino said his position prevents him from publicly explaining actions at the FBI that seem “counterintuitive to our reform agenda.” He did not specifically address his security detail or any other decision.
I’d like to add this:Your comments and criticisms are not only welcome, but they’re helpful. We work for you, the American people.
Your feedback is invaluable. All I ask is that you consider the following feedback to the feedback. When you see something happen, and the entire… https://t.co/Lpg9Tiubxs
— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) April 6, 2025
“I realized when I signed up that I’d never be able to fully explain some decisions we make due to legal and ethical constraints,” he wrote. “But that’s a pill I agreed to swallow when I swore in.”
