Dan Bongino promoted the theory that the Trump campaign was subjected to surveillance, a situation he referred to as “spygate,” and described it as “the biggest scandal in American history.” During one program, Bongino expressed strong opinions against those opposing the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, stating that his current focus was on opposing liberals, whom he described as “pure unadulterated evil” following the contentious nomination process.
Bongino’s vigorous defense of Trump caught the attention of Fox producers, leading to numerous appearances on their platform. It was during this time that Trump reportedly began to take notice of Bongino. In June 2018, Trump referenced Bongino in two Twitter posts after Bongino criticized then-CIA Director John Brennan on Fox & Friends.
According to an October 2018 report by the Daily Beast, Bongino established a connection with Trump, who discussed “malicious influences inside the FBI” with his aides, citing Bongino as the information source.
Bongino’s show on NRATV had a short run, concluding in December 2018. After the show’s end, Bongino dismissed critiques that he was fired, mocking his critics. The following month, Fox News signed him as a contributor, despite previous reports indicating he was barred from Shannon Bream’s show after an incident during a recording.
In 2021, Bongino became a Fox News host, launching a Saturday night show titled Unfiltered. He used this platform to promote election-denial conspiracy theories regarding the 2020 election, as well as the great replacement and Covid-19 conspiracy theories. Bongino criticized mask and vaccine mandates, viewing them as government overreach.
During the Capitol attack, Bongino faced a temporary Twitter suspension for posting a video from Trump. Subsequently, he criticized the removal of the messaging app Parler, in which he had invested, from app stores. In 2022, YouTube permanently banned Bongino for spreading Covid-19 disinformation, although he continued to reach a large audience on Facebook.
Bongino departed from Fox News in 2023 but continued to grow his podcast on Rumble, an alternative video streaming site linked to Vice President JD Vance, who is an investor. Although Bongino has not been as vocal about the QAnon conspiracy theory as some other figures, he has previously promoted QAnon influencers, earning support from channels endorsing Trump and conspiracy theories. These supporters claim Bongino and Patel will expose the “deep state,” believed to be opposing Trump secretly. One QAnon promoter compared the team assembled by Trump to “the Avengers,” suggesting readers prepare for significant revelations.
(Update 2/24/25 5:53pm ET: This article has been updated with additional information regarding the FBI Agents Association’s perspective on Bongino’s appointment.)
