Will Sommer (2:59)

It's Bonjean over. I would describe it.

Sam Stein (3:04)

God, I apologize to the listeners.

Will Sommer (3:08)

I had that one ready to go.

Sam Stein (3:11)

I could tell. Maybe you should have workshopped it a bit more.

Will Sommer (3:15)

Well, I would describe it as one of the strangest tenures of a high, high ranking FBI official in, in, you know, modern memory.

Sam Stein (3:24)

Surpassed only by Cash Patel's, I suppose.

Will Sommer (3:27)

Yes, yes. Surpassed only by his buddy Cash Patel. I mean we have a situation here where a guy who, you know, Dan Bongino was a former Secret Service agent, but he had no history as an FBI agent. Unprecedented lack of experience. Previously we have not had a podcaster leading the most powerful law enforcement agency in. It is a, it was truly strange and you know, and now it is coming to an end.

Sam Stein (3:52)

So this is, I'll just read what Ms. Now has and then I'll read what the New York Times says. Ms. Now says Bongino has told his team, some senior FBI officials he, that he tentatively planned to announce his departure on December 19th. That's according to four people. Several people said some of Bongino's personal effects have been cleared out of his office as of last week. Reached by Ms. Now, Bongino declined to confirm or deny the reports of his plans, adding, quote, print whatever you'd like. No one believes you anyway. Thanks. What a guy. And then the New York Times this, there's a little like chestnut in the New York Times thing that, that like perfectly summarizes the Bongino era. They say that Bongino has said he plans to leave his job as soon as this week or as late as mid January, according to three people. Knowledge of his plans. One sign might be sooner rather than later. Bongino has been sending office knickknacks and other possessions back to Florida where he intends to resume his lucrative career as a pro Trump media broadcaster. They say broadcaster not podcaster in time for the midterm elections. They also know that this month, Mr. Bongino suggested to associates that he might go out on a high note by sharing his plans to step down at a news conference announcing the capture of a suspect in the planting of pipe bombs near the party headquarters of Democrats and Republicans on the eve of January 6, 2021. He did not make that announcement. Had he made that announcement.

Will Sommer (5:12)

I would.

Sam Stein (5:12)

Have been just utterly flabbergasted. Can you imagine?

Will Sommer (5:15)

That would have been.

Sam Stein (5:16)

We got him, folks. And by the way, I'm out.

Will Sommer (5:18)

I'm out. Mission accomplished. See ya.

Sam Stein (5:22)

But it does get to this idea that so much of what they do, Bongino and Patel, is just built around sort of like, stagecraft and social media influence, really.

Will Sommer (5:32)

Oh, totally. And I mean, you know, that kind of leads into what I think I will most remember Dan Bongino for, which is the. The constant tweets he said he kind of stopped doing it later in the administration, but the constant tweets he sent saying, I'm working really hard. Stop saying, I'm not working hard. I'm not here just to be on vacation. And, of course, this culminated in the Fox News appearance where he maybe cried on air. He said, it's so hard. And he said, my wife and I are separated. And he kind of, like, waited a couple beats. I mean, not like, legally, you know, I mean, it was a. Again, these are the guys who are supposed to be catching the terrorists and the spies, and he's just, you know, out really putting, you know, I mean, emotional vulnerability is great for a. I think, but. But maybe not in this.

Sam Stein (6:11)

Yeah. And then we had Cash Patel, and maybe we can insert a little bit of this clip. I know Tim talked a lot about it, but Cash Patel was doing the Katie Miller podcast with his girlfriend. He's talking about how hard it is to, like, maintain the relationship and how he's only gone to 15% of her concerts. We'll play the clip.

Cash Patel (6:27)

It's ironic that they're saying, oh, you're going on vacation or you're going to see your girlfriend perform. And if I was actually abusing it, I would go see every one of her shows. I think I get to, like, 15%.

Rocket Money Announcer (6:38)

Just to clarify, how often has he traveled to see you since January 20th?

Will Sommer (6:44)

Oh, gosh, I think.

Sam Stein (6:46)

What? Nashville? Been in Nashville?

Cash Patel (6:48)

Like, yeah, I've been to her house a couple times with her family for the holidays and, you know, birthdays. I've seen her perform this year, I think three times.

Sam Stein (6:59)

Yeah. Talk a bit about, though, about that tension that Bongino is getting at, which is he has this whole career where he's been spreading all these conspiracy theories, often about the FBI itself. Then he comes in and he has to at least nominally play the adults in the room or at least try to do the job and improve. Way harder than he thought.

Will Sommer (7:21)

Yeah, I mean, this is something Bongino ran into over and over. Was. I mean, I think the most famous example would be the Jeffrey Epstein case where like Cash Patel, he had been out there before joining the FBI saying, you know, the FBI is covering this up. There's all this stuff that's going to be uncovered. And then he gets in and he says, oh, geez. You know, even before kind of the big Trump administration reversal on this, he realizes, you know, from his point of view that Epstein did kill himself. He sees all this evidence. So then him and Cash have to go on Fox and say, you know, basically guys like, cut it out with the conspiracy theories. And needless to say, this was not a hit with the old Bongino talk radio fans and podcast fans. They were furious. And I think, you know, just keeping the Epstein thing going a little longer. I think that is why there was so much tension. We. When the administration did this reversal on Epstein and refused to release the files, Bongino was sort of the main internal dissenter. He was saying, you know, we're blowing this. We're going to infuriate the MAGA base. And I think that's in part because he knew he needed to go back to this audience and so he couldn't really totally abandon the conspiracy theories.

Sam Stein (8:21)

All right, let's play this clip. I want to stay on this point. Let's play this clip. When he again, he seems to only Fox News, but he did speak with Hannity again and, and he sort of talked. I mean, he just kind of pulled the curtain back and he said, yeah, I totally was a different person or spoke differently about this stuff when I was a podcaster and I didn't have to worry about the truth. Let's play the clip and we can talk about on the flip side, I.

Sean Hannity (8:46)

Don'T know if you remember this. This is before you became the deputy FBI director. You put a post on X right after this happened and you said there's a massive cover up because the person that planted those pipe bombs, they don't want you to know who it is because it's either a connected anti Trump insider or an inside job. You said that, you know, long before you Even thought of as Deputy FBI Director.

Dan Bongino (9:14)

Yeah. That's why I said to you, this investigation's just begun. We are pretty comfortable. We have our guy. I think there's again, legal process starts to surface and information, facts start to come out. The public's going to be very comfortable with the investigation that was conducted under Director Patel and his leadership. He's been great on this. But I don't want to, you know, listen. I was paid in the past, Sean, for my opinions. That's clear. And one day I'll be back in that space. But that's not what I'm paid for now. I'm paid to be your deputy director. And we base investigations on facts. And, you know, it was interesting. I was looking out in the crowd today at the presser, and I saw a couple of media figures who you and I both know, who promoted the other scandal, the collusion hoax. And I thought to myself, you know, the difference between us and them is, you know, we evolve as information and new inputs come out. We can produce different outputs because that's what we believe in. We believe in facts and investigations guided by facts. There were people out there in that crowd, I'm sure, still believe in this collusion, fairytale hoax.

Sean Hannity (10:18)

So we'll see.

Dan Bongino (10:20)

We're going to be guided by the facts as this thing goes forward. And I also, I can't get you. Stop the, you know, leave the, Leave the truck here without thanking the President.

Sam Stein (10:30)

Putting aside Hannity saying good grief at the fact that people believe. It's sort of a remarkable clip, right? He's like basically just prancing around the idea that he was full of shit for a while. He's like, well, that was my opinions. Doesn't apologize for getting it completely wrong. Just was like, you know, I was paid to spout off, more or less.

Will Sommer (10:51)

Gosh, was he really checked out in that clip or what? I mean, he is already. He's thinking, okay, I got a box up you the newspaper clippings. I gotta box up my old Secret Service memorabilia. You know, I mean, he's saying in that clip, he's like, look, you know, I used to get paid to be talk radio host. I was so sick I could say whatever I wanted. And look, soon I'll be back to doing that. I mean, he literally says, I will be again someday. Something along those line.

Sam Stein (11:13)

Well, so what happens when he goes back? Does he. I mean, has he torched the credibility with his fan base? Can he get back to a place where he just spouts off conspiracies I mean, how does this work, you think?

Will Sommer (11:26)

I think he can slide right back into it. I don't think he really needed the audience that much. Yeah, I mean, I think the Epstein stuff, in a way, I think had he just done that one Fox News appearance where he said Epstein killed himself, you know, I think people would have been madder at him. But it's in a way, like, I feel like Bambondi and Trump are taking much more heat for the larger Epstein thing at the moment. And so I think Bongino can just be like, you know, I mean, people know that he tried internally to sort of finagle a more base, friendly thing. So I think he'll go back into it. I mean, I don't know. He's kind of a rogue element out there now. I mean, he, I feel like he's so frustrated with his time in government. Who knows what he'll start saying?

Sam Stein (12:02)

I mean, does there is something to that? Like he could become appointment viewing because he just starts spilling the beans on Bondi. Right. Like, you don't know. And I suppose if you're Trump, you better have him in house than out of house. But he also strikes me as kind of a loyal soldier or thinks of himself that way, so I'd be a little bit surprised. The people I talk to who cover this stuff, I don't cover it. Say that he was way more invested in the actual work of the Bureau than Patel in that.

Dan Bongino (12:32)

Oh, no.

Sam Stein (12:33)

Yeah, I know. Like, at least he was putting in the hours where Patel was on his jet. So I just want to make that clear. I'm not like, trying to say he was the ideal deputy, but it does leave Patel sort of there, out there all alone. Right.

Will Sommer (12:47)

Well, I wonder if what we may be looking at here is that Dan is trying to, he's sort of jumping before he gets pushed. And so perhaps there is a larger house cleaning that would have been aimed at both Bongino and Patel. And frankly, I mean, there's been a lot of reporting that Patel's on thin ice. I don't think his appearance on the Katie Miller podcast did him any favors. Look, it's certainly, you know, I know he told the media to stop rushing him to get engaged. Stuff like, I don't think we're doing that, but, you know, that's a pretty funny thing. I'd love to pop the question, but I can't let the MSM win. That's a good excuse for guys use. But, you know, I, I, I think possibly there was a larger push. I Mean, there is this, this co deputy director who is sort of level, at the same level as Bongino who was brought in, who might ultimately be the FBI director. You know, as long as we're on Bongino memories though, I just wanted to, to bring back the time that the New York Times reported on him doing jujitsu moves on FBI agents when he would visit them in training. And I guess it didn't work out so well for him and he kind of got a little beat up on the mat. And then after the Times reported this, Bonino was like, you know, this reporter, this pipsqueak, this pencil neck could never understand what it takes to go on the map.

Sam Stein (13:59)

Is this like the end of the idea of influencers and podcasters getting high ranking government positions, you think? Or will we just be in another. Are they just going to find like, you know, name some other podcaster who could become the next deputy?

Will Sommer (14:14)

I mean, Julie Kelly, the great, the great Jane six report reporter sleuth John Solomon.

Sam Stein (14:21)

Yeah, no, Kelly gets it because she, she threw some shade at that, that original story about the pipe bomber. She was like, this is not right. So maybe she's already got some good instincts. She could be next.

Will Sommer (14:32)

Hannity hit this quote here where early, you know, when the heat was really on Bongino, he said, you know what I have discovered about the way the, this, the previous administration ran things in the government? It shook me to my core. It like sickened me, you know, oh, I've seen these abominations. And now he's just like, all right, well, see ya. You know, none of those people have been prosecuted, you know, for like qanon. People thought that was like the cabal. And he's just like, all right, well.

Sam Stein (14:54)

Okay, so let me push back on you. So like, you think he can seamlessly go back, but like, I don't know, if you look at his tenure, isn't it just sort of a disappointment to the people he conditioned that there's going to be arrests, that Epstein was actually the center of this big cabal and all, and all the files will be really, I mean, how do you just, you know, oversee this, which is a discipline on a variety of fronts? I mean, you saying the pipe bomber was a plan, and then you go back and you're suddenly like, have to live in that community again.

Will Sommer (15:22)

And especially. And you probably will continue to say, oh, the treacherous deep state, you know, all the things they did to Trump. And you might say, well, gee, Dan, if only someone could have done something again.

Sam Stein (15:30)

You were There. Yeah, exactly like that. That becomes complicated. I mean, I'm sure I'll do it, but it just seems weird to me.

Will Sommer (15:36)

I think it's really weird. And you know, in terms of the kind of the Bongino senioritis laziness situation, I do want to note the Ms. Now stories that Bongino has said he will not be return the office basically until he resigns. You know, there's still a couple weeks left in the year. I guess that's okay. Just go right ahead. Nothing. There's, there's nothing.

Sam Stein (15:59)

We shouldn't, we shouldn't just allied that. It's just, it's unbelievable. He is the deputy. He's still the acting deputy director of the FBI. Get to work.

Will Sommer (16:07)

Dude.

Sam Stein (16:07)

You know, we, we kind of need you in the office, Buddy. Can't just be in Florida for three weeks. The threats don't stop. But that's the other thing. Patel's on these podcasts and talking about his marriage and there's like the Brown Killer is still out there, Buddy. I guess the podcast was taped before him, but you get my point.

Will Sommer (16:22)

Yeah, I mean you see the footage of the FBI agents kicking the snow outside of Brown and obviously I understand that's how the grid search works, but it looks like they're just kind of doing a half hearted effort. And then of course you have Dan Bongino who's already taking, I don't know, potentially a month off before quitting.

Sam Stein (16:39)

Jesus. All right, well, we'll see if he actually follows through on this. It wouldn't be beyond him to say, you know, fuck ms, the New York Times, I'm going to stay and then we'll see what happens. But we'll monitor that too if he decides to do that. Will, thanks so much, man. I think we're going to have to do another one of these and we'll maybe like do a ranking of our favorite Bongino moments when he actually steps down. We'll do, we'll do some of the homework now before then. So that will be more professional podcast. Okay?

Will Sommer (17:04)

Absolutely. A five hour stream. You know, all the classics.

Sam Stein (17:07)

Oh, great. Don't put me in hook for that. Will Summer, ladies and gentlemen, I'm Sam Stein. Thanks for watching. Subscribe to our feeds where you get great content like this. Talk to you soon.