MAGA Is Getting Suspicious of Trump’s FBI Leadership

Summary

Bulwark Takes: MAGA Is Getting Suspicious of Trump’s FBI Leadership

Release Date: April 10, 2025

In this compelling episode of Bulwark Takes, hosts Sam Stein and Will Summer explore the growing skepticism and frustration within the MAGA community towards Dan Bongino’s leadership at the FBI. Through a detailed analysis of recent events, social media activity, and internal FBI decisions, Stein and Summer shed light on the tensions between MAGA supporters and the federal agency’s direction under Bongino’s tenure.

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1. Introduction to the Topic

The episode opens with Sam Stein and Will Summer setting the stage for their discussion on Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino. Stein humorously references an impending arrest scenario to grab the listener's attention, signaling the contentious nature of the topic (00:00).

Key Quote:

"We're about to get ourselves arrested by the FBI." — Sam Stein [00:00]

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2. Dan Bongino’s Public Communications and Perceived Inaction

Stein and Summer delve into Bongino’s social media activity, particularly his repetitive tweets asserting that the FBI is diligently working behind the scenes despite a lack of visible actions. Stein points out the frequency and consistency of these messages, raising questions about their impact and intent (00:39; 00:42).

Key Quotes:

"Dan Bongino wants you to know he's working really hard. Seriously, he is." — Sam Stein [00:08]

"Just because you don't see the actions of the FBI doesn't mean they're not happening." — Dan Bongino [00:42]

Stewart and Summer highlight the frustration among Bongino’s followers who expected tangible results, such as high-profile arrests, which have yet to materialize. This disconnect is fueling skepticism and dissatisfaction within the MAGA base.

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3. Internal FBI Personnel Decisions and Their Impact

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on recent personnel decisions within the FBI, specifically the appointment of Steve Jensen to the prestigious Washington field office. Jensen's past actions, including his aggressive stance during the January 6th investigations and his handling of conservative activism at school board meetings, have made him a polarizing figure (03:22; 04:01).

Key Quotes:

"He handled... the response to January 6th... these people clearly did something bad. And so I want to pursue them." — Steve Jensen [03:27]

"The idea that Cash and Dan Bongino by extension are giving him a promotion has just infuriated people." — Will Summer [04:01]

Stein and Summer explain how Jensen’s appointment is seen as a continuation of aggressive enforcement tactics, which many MAGA supporters view negatively. This decision has further strained the relationship between the FBI and its MAGA-aligned constituents.

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4. MAGA Community’s Expectations and Scapegoating

The hosts discuss how the MAGA community had been led to believe in a vast conspiracy involving Democrats, anticipating significant arrests and revelations. The perceived lack of these outcomes has led to Bongino being scapegoated for not meeting these high expectations (05:01; 05:29).

Key Quotes:

"Dan Bongino is going to be scapegoated here, as we're already seeing." — Will Summer [05:01]

"You're not cruel enough. And same with Bongino. Like, where... why is Oprah still walking about in a free society?" — Sam Stein [10:37]

Stein poses a crucial question: If Bongino fails to uncover the expected conspiracies, will MAGA supporters reconsider their beliefs, or will they seek alternative explanations? Summer suggests that the latter is more likely, with Bongino becoming the new focal point of frustration.

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5. Transparency and Unconventional Communication from the FBI

An unusual aspect of Bongino’s tenure is his open communication style, especially on social media, which is atypical for high-ranking FBI officials. Stein expresses skepticism about Bongino’s candidness, questioning whether such transparency is genuine or strategic (06:16; 07:28).

Key Quotes:

"Neither one of us came here to play games. Measure by results." — Dan Bongino Tweet [06:16]

"These people normally operate completely in the dark. I guess I should applaud the transparency." — Sam Stein [07:28]

Stein and Summer commend Bongino’s willingness to communicate openly but remain doubtful about the authenticity and effectiveness of his approach in maintaining trust among his supporters.

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6. The Libs of TikTok ICE Raid Incident and Backlash

The conversation shifts to a related event involving Libs of TikTok’s Christine participating in an ICE raid, which has sparked criticism and frustration within the MAGA community (08:42; 09:26).

Key Quotes:

"Stop cosplaying. Like stop... pretending you're a member of ICE." — Megan Kelly [08:42]

"She is an administrative policy person appointed by Trump because she was very loyal to him. Fine. But stop with the glam." — Will Summer [09:26]

Kelly criticizes Christine for glamorizing ICE operations, arguing that such actions undermine the agency’s credibility and offend MAGA supporters who favor stringent immigration enforcement. Stein and Summer explore how this incident reflects broader dissatisfaction with law enforcement outcomes.

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7. General MAGA Frustration with Law Enforcement Outcomes

Stein and Summer highlight the overarching frustration within the MAGA base regarding immigration and deportation policies. They discuss unmet expectations, such as the anticipated surge in deportations under Trump's leadership, which have not materialized as supporters hoped (09:30; 10:37).

Key Quotes:

"We want more people in the Salvadoran prison." — Will Summer [10:04]

"Honestly, they just spin a new tale." — Will Summer [05:01]

This persistent dissatisfaction underscores the challenges faced by Bongino and the FBI in reconciling aggressive enforcement promises with the complex realities of law enforcement operations.

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8. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In closing, Stein and Summer reaffirm their respect for Bongino’s efforts despite the criticism. They emphasize the importance of understanding the pressures faced by federal officials and encourage listeners to engage with further analysis through Will Summer’s newsletter, False Flag (11:01; 11:04).

Key Quotes:

"We got all the time in the world, Dan. No rush." — Will Summer [11:01]

"I'm grateful for it, in fact. So thank you." — Sam Stein [11:04]

They invite listeners to subscribe to the Bulwark Takes feed for ongoing discussions and insights into the ever-evolving news cycle.

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Notable Quotes with Attribution and Timestamps

• Sam Stein: "We're about to get ourselves arrested by the FBI." [00:00]
• Dan Bongino (Tweet): "Just because you don't see the actions of the FBI doesn't mean they're not happening." [06:16]
• Megan Kelly: "Stop cosplaying... pretending you're a member of ICE." [08:42]
• Sam Stein: "You're not cruel enough. And same with Bongino. Like, where... why is Oprah still walking about in a free society?" [10:37]
• Will Summer: "Dan Bongino is going to be scapegoated here, as we're already seeing." [05:01]
• Will Summer: "We want more people in the Salvadoran prison." [10:04]

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Bulwark Takes provides a nuanced examination of the tensions between the MAGA faction and the FBI’s current leadership. Through incisive dialogue and strategic use of quotes, Sam Stein and Will Summer offer listeners a thorough understanding of the underlying issues fueling MAGA’s suspicion and dissatisfaction with Dan Bongino’s role. The discussion underscores the complexities of federal law enforcement in a polarized political landscape, highlighting the challenges of meeting the high expectations of a fervent supporter base.

For listeners seeking deeper insights, Will Summer’s newsletter False Flag is recommended, and subscribing to the Bulwark Takes feed ensures staying informed on similar critical analyses.

Transcript

[Sam Stein]

Hey, guys. Me, Sam Stein here with Will Summer, author of False Flag, and we're about to get ourselves arrested by the FBI.

[Will Summer]

We are.

[Sam Stein]

Open up. I think we should be honest about what's about to happen. We're going to be talking about Will's piece on Dan Bongino, Deputy FBI Director, and by the end of this, if someone breaks down our doors, this is, you know, why. Before we get into it, subscribe to the feed, as always. All right, Will, the pieces called. Dan Bongino wants you to know he's working really hard. Seriously, he is. Exceptional headline. I don't know how that got put in there.

[Will Summer]

I think that might have been a Sam Stein joint. Yes.

[Sam Stein]

I wouldn't. I wouldn't know. This is something that's been on my radar for a little bit because I'm on Twitter way too much. But Tim Bongino keeps tweeting the same basic thing, which is just because you don't see the actions of the FBI doesn't mean they're not happening. What? And I've been wondering, as he keeps issuing a variation of that tweet, how many times? Seven times.

[Will Summer]

I. I think our last count as of Wednesday was eight. Okay, so, yeah.

[Sam Stein]

So what the hell is the point? What is he getting at? What is he alluding to? Why. Why is it so mysterious?

[Will Summer]

So I got interested in this, as you said, because he kept sending these tweets and they weren't really directed at anyone, but just kind of like in so many words, like, to my doubters, I'm working really hard.

[Sam Stein]

Yeah.

[Will Summer]

Yes. And. And, you know, he said at one point, you know, if you think I came to d. An all expense paid vacation, you know, you don't know me. You know, I'm hard at work. And I thought, this is so strange. And so, you know, that is the.

[Sam Stein]

Way just to stop there. One of them was like, I didn't give up this sweet life that I built to, like, not do. It's like, go do your life if it was so sweet. No one asked you to do this. This is an honor.

[Will Summer]

I mean, he seems really stressed, I guess is how I would put it. And so overall, so then I started looking into, you know, what. What are people so mad about? And then at the same time, other his friends were tweeting, like, I, for one, think Dan Bongino is doing a great job, you know, which is always a great sign.

[Sam Stein]

Michael Flynn Jr. Said it. I think some others. Yeah.

[Will Summer]

Yeah. So basically, there's a couple things. I think one of them is Kind of the idea that the right wing media audience, including Bongino's old audience, has been told that, you know, Democrats had a criminal cabal running the country. Right. And yet now that Dan Bongino is in charge, you know, Hillary hasn't been arrested, Oprah hasn't been arrested. No one's been arrested.

[Sam Stein]

Well, he's hard at work. We're just give it a little time. But there were some other things, though, that were that you wrote about that seem to be bothering people. It's not just the absence of arrests, it's personnel decisions.

[Will Summer]

Yeah. So last week, the New York Times reported that Cash Patel, who's Dongino's boss running the FBI, had appointed this FBI agent named Steve Jensen to run the Washington field office, which is very prestigious appointment. But Steve Jensen is kind of like the arch enemy of January six people. And also like, well, so he, he ran a lot of the response to January six from the FBI. He, he handled, you know, sort of relatedly the, you may remember like a few years ago, conservative parents getting really rowdy at school board meetings. And so he did the FBI response to like, if any crimes happen there. And then there was this FBI quote.

[Sam Stein]

Conservatives hated that. They thought it was big government trying to suppress speech and all that stuff.

[Will Summer]

Exactly. And so the idea that the FBI was looking into that, they hated that. And then this idea that, you know, he was supposedly, he was described on a conference call like two days, one day after January 6th, saying, like, let's get these people. And one FBI agent was like, what if they're innocent? He said, I don't care. Well, not that I don't get, but basically like, these people clearly did something bad. And so I want to pursue them. And you know, this is treated on the right as like, you know, this guy's in the Gestapo or something. And so the idea that now Cash and Dan Bongino by extension are giving him a promotion has just infuriated people.

[Sam Stein]

And it's funny because, like, well, there's two things I want to unpack. The first is there's precedent for these people getting mad and then going after them and then Trump retrenching and firing those people. I mean, Laura Loomer just did it with the National Security Council. So it's not like this is just a sideshow. This is actual. There could be real world consequences to the frustration over the hiring of these people. But the bigger question is, like, and you've been following this way more than I have, at some point, do these, do the people who believe all the conspiracies like that there's a cabal and that the Jeffrey Epstein client list is going to be turned over at any minute and that QAnon will be, you know, has exposed. When it continuously doesn't happen, obviously they just spin a new tail. But is there any point at which you've witnessed where people are like, you know what, maybe I've been led astray or maybe, maybe all my prior held beliefs weren't grounded necessarily in reality. Because if Dan Bongino can't uncover this stuff, then no, I don't think that'll happen.

[Will Summer]

I think, I think what's going to happen more likely is that Dan Bongino is going to be scapegoated here, as we're already seeing, because they're saying, you know, come on, Dan, you gotta, you gotta find the big secrets. And when he is unable to do that, they're gonna say, who else could they turn to? Well, they'll put Laura Loomer in or something. I mean, you know, there's a long list of, of Republican kind of MAGA person, podcast personalities that they could have run the FBI.

[Sam Stein]

Is there. I mean, I guess this. The truth is Bongino wasn't in a confirmed, he wasn't a center, confirmed position. So it was like, you know, they could find someone else, I suppose. But boy, it's like hard to find a character more suited to satisfy the conspiratorial mind than Bongino. And if he can't do it, any sense of like, whether he really is sweating it. I mean, all. We're going onto these tweets, I guess.

[Will Summer]

Yeah, I would say the tweets are a pretty good sign. I mean, I really recommend people like, read the newsletter, you know, if you really get deep. We have all his tweets listed out there. I mean, he, like, I'll pull them up.

[Sam Stein]

There's one. There was one that was really good, but go ahead. You talking about.

[Will Summer]

Well, I was just gonna say, I mean, since I was writing this, and then I was just like, all right, let's check old Dan's Twitter before I send this in. And then he had sent a new one that was, you know, similarly.

[Sam Stein]

No. Is that 9 or. No, that was.

[Will Summer]

Well, this was, this was yesterday. Yeah, I mean, let me, let me.

[Sam Stein]

Read from one just to give people a sense as I dive back into work. I want to reassure you that nothing that is happening here is happening by accident. Now keep in mind, he's already said, just because you don't see Things happening doesn't mean they're not so. I don't know, you either see it or you don't because of the sensitivity of the, of what the FBI deals with. Both the director and I have to be circumspect about in what we can make public. Bad guys read this stuff too. Neither one of us came here to play games. Measure by results. You will see them. But just because you don't see something happening right this second doesn't mean it isn't happening. I'll conclude by stating that not every result is going to please everyone. That's just pandering. It's not. Leadership complex problems require diligence and reform oriented process to create lasting changes. Blah, blah. I can't imagine writing a tweet like this and putting it up. I really just can't.

[Will Summer]

I mean this is, this is like one of the most powerful law enforcement officials I know. I know that's on Wednesday. He sent one that was just like time stretches out before us. Like who is to say, who is to say? Like you know, I mean, yeah, it was, it was like, it was very like kind of time as a flat circle type situation.

[Sam Stein]

Again though, this is the second most powerful person at the FBI. I defy, I challenge someone to name any other prior deputy director by name, let alone anyone who ever tweeted anything. It's unbelievable. These people normally operate completely in the, in the dark. I guess, I guess I should applaud the transparency. And Dan, if you're watching this, look, I have the utmost respect for you. Please, I want you to recognize it.

[Will Summer]

Well, Dan, Sam, at this pace he'll never catch up to you. 20, 30.

[Sam Stein]

Yeah, exactly. All right, let's talk about the other element in your newsletter which I, which I also find fascinating, which is Libs of TikTok got a ride along Christine. People are not happy about that. Again, I guess it's of the same genre which is like they expect results and not pandering. And Bongino's like, I'm not pandering, I'm just going to be straight with you. But in this case they're like, why did Christy Num put Libs of TikTok on an ICE raid? Can she just go into poor people? And I will note this was in your newsletter, but it happened last night. Maybe we could find the clip. Megan Kelly, while complimenting Christine for the work she's done was like, stop cosplaying. Like just stop like brandishing guns and pretending you're a member of ice.

[Megan Kelly]

You're not stop trying to glamorize the mission and put yourself in the middle of it as you cosplay ICE agent, which you're not. I can't stand these photo ops, you guys. I think they diminish ice. They diminished, diminished dhs, cpb. She's not an agent. She is an administrative policy person appointed by Trump because she was very loyal to him. Fine. But stop with the glam. I mean, she looks like I look right now, but she's out in the field with her gun being like, we're going to go kick some. No one wants you there.

[Sam Stein]

So it does seem like there's a little bit of frustration on that front, too. Yeah.

[Will Summer]

I mean, this is kind of the MAGA frustration newsletter. I mean, in this case, I was interested because Libs of TikTok, you know, Kaya Raichik, they. You would think they would like her being long, but I think there's this frustration that, I mean, they were expecting, like, enormous levels of deportation. Like, it was supposed to have this, like, huge ripple effect on the economy. Everyone, every citizen was going to be mega wealthy after all the deportations. And instead, you know, in February, there were fewer deportations than there were under Biden.

[Sam Stein]

I just find it shocking to me that people are unsatisfied with the level of cruelty on the deportation and migration.

[Will Summer]

Yeah, Yeah. I mean, that's what's so crazy about it. I mean, that ultimately they're saying, you know, we want more people in the Salvadoran prison. And. And so this idea that, you know, this kind of dovetails with the Epstein. Epstein Binder debacle where they, Pam Bondi handed out these Epstein files that turned out to not be new. And so one of the people who received that was Lives of TikTok, who is also now on this. And so I think, I guess overall, the MAGA audience is getting kind of fed up with, like, the spectrum.

[Sam Stein]

Well, they're probably like, oh, you're using her just to brandish your credentials and seem and keep a good standing in our community. But we want results.

[Will Summer]

Yeah. Basically, we want more cruelty. We want more terror.

[Sam Stein]

You're not cruel enough. And same with Bongino. Like, where. Where are. Like, why is Oprah still walking about in a free society? Like, come on, Dan, we. We hired you for a reason. All right, well, I need a drink again. I just want to stress today on Bongino. Like, I. I totally respect what you're doing, and I just want you to.

[Will Summer]

We got all the time in the world, Dan. No rush.

[Sam Stein]

Yeah. No rush. And I'm happy for the transparency, and I'm. I'm grateful for it, in fact. So thank you. Okay. Will Summer check out his newsletter, False Flag. Also subscribe to this feed where we talk about stuff like this. It's well worth it. Thanks, buddy. Appreciate it.