Morning Wire — “Inside ‘The Two FBIs’: An Ex-Agent On How Politics Broke The Bureau”
Date: December 14, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley (Daily Wire Executive Editor), Georgia Howe
Guest: Nicole Parker, Former FBI Agent & Author of The Two FBIs: The Bravery and Betrayal I Saw in My Time at the Bureau
Episode Overview
In this weekend edition of Morning Wire, John Bickley interviews Nicole Parker, a former FBI agent and recent author, to discuss her revealing new book, The Two FBIs. Parker shares her perspective on how the bureau has splintered into two distinct factions—one committed to principle and another corrupted by political agendas. The discussion traces major inflection points within the FBI over the past decade, Parker's firsthand experiences during key events, and her take on the prospects for reform under the renewed Trump administration.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Meaning Behind “The Two FBIs”
[02:21 - 03:44]
- FBI1 vs. FBI2:
- FBI1 represents the agents who deeply believed in upholding their oath, serving the American people, and maintaining integrity.
- FBI2 refers to those who, in Parker's words, “used their law enforcement power to push their own political and social agendas,” displaying arrogance and sometimes laziness.
- This divide set the stage for an internal struggle—a “civil war inside the FBI”—that Parker witnessed during her tenure.
“The title is extremely significant because there really were two FBI's, especially at the time that I left. It was almost like an internal battle, somewhat of a civil war going on inside the FBI.”
— Nicole Parker [03:32]
2. The First Signs of Change: The Obama Administration & DEI Initiatives
[03:44 - 05:42]
- Parker joined in 2010 as a response to the 9/11 attacks, driven by patriotism and a desire to be apolitical.
- She notes the first shift came during the Obama administration, especially around 2015, with the introduction of DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) training.
- Agents were required to take implicit bias training, which Parker found frustrating and disconnected from her lived experience and mission.
“Who has time for that when we're actually trying to take down violent criminals? ... Basically they were telling us that we were implicitly biased, we were born that way... That's just not true. I've never seen that in my career at the FBI.”
— Nicole Parker [04:27]
3. The Clinton Email Investigation: “A Defining Moment”
[05:42 - 07:31]
- Parker identifies James Comey’s July 5, 2016 press conference (regarding Hillary Clinton’s email investigation) as a watershed moment.
- FBI agents were shocked by Comey’s decision to publicly announce no reasonable prosecutor would charge Clinton, taking what Parker calls a “prosecutorial decision outside his lane.”
“We saw this press conference and we thought, what in the world just happened? This is not the role of the FBI director.”
— Nicole Parker [06:09]
- That incident, Parker claims, demonstrated politicized decision-making and was the beginning of the bureau’s slide away from its core mission.
4. The Deepening Divide: “Worse Than You Think”
[07:31 - 10:05]
- Parker describes Comey’s press conference as just the “tip of the iceberg.”
- She paints a picture of a bureau rife with double standards, where rules were “for thee, but not for me” and internal trust was shattered.
- She points to the Russia collusion probe, FISA warrants, and text evidence about an “insurance policy” as further symptoms of politicized law enforcement.
“There were specific text messages... saying this is an insurance policy against Trump not getting elected... what they did was... try to take the attention off of Hillary Clinton and pivot over to the Trump campaign.”
— Nicole Parker [08:43]
5. The Trump Presidency: Leadership Challenges
[10:05 - 13:33]
- After Comey’s firing in 2017, Parker hoped for reform but notes the appointment of another DOJ insider, Christopher Wray, didn’t help:
- Wray was less visible than Comey but didn’t address underlying problems.
- Parker observes it’s “virtually impossible to get fired from the federal government,” making it extremely difficult to root out corrupt or ideological actors.
- She laments the transformation into what she felt was “a social justice warrior club rather than a law enforcement agency” under the Biden administration.
“Christopher Wray did us no favors because he just went along with what the administration was telling him to do while the problems persisted at the agency.”
— Nicole Parker [12:31]
6. Hope for Reform: The Second Trump Administration
[13:33 - 16:55]
- Now outside the bureau, Parker can speak openly.
- She notes morale among FBI1 agents is low and sees the central challenge as “building up FBI1 and obliterating FBI2.”
- She credits the new administration with promptly ending broad DEI programs in government agencies and shifting focus to enforcement of violent crime and counterterrorism, away from politicized obsessions (“1-6 misdemeanor obsession”).
- She honors committed agents and fallen comrades, reminding listeners the bureau still has patriotic public servants striving for justice.
“The key right now is to build up FBI1, increase their morale, because their morale was basically bulldozed under the last administration... while simultaneously taking down and obliterating FBI2.”
— Nicole Parker [14:58]
- Parker is hopeful, emphasizing that “good and light will win in the end.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the internal divide:
“It was almost like an internal battle, somewhat of a civil war going on inside the FBI.”
— Nicole Parker [03:32] -
On DEI and bias training:
“Who has time for that when we're actually trying to take down violent criminals?”
— Nicole Parker [04:27] -
On Comey’s press conference:
“We saw this press conference and we thought, what in the world just happened? This is not the role of the FBI director.”
— Nicole Parker [06:09] -
On abuse of power:
“There were specific text messages... saying this is an insurance policy against Trump not getting elected.”
— Nicole Parker [08:43] -
On FBI leadership:
“Christopher Wray did us no favors because he just went along with what the administration was telling him to do while the problems persisted at the agency.”
— Nicole Parker [12:31] -
On future reform:
“The key right now is to build up FBI1, increase their morale... while simultaneously taking down and obliterating FBI2.”
— Nicole Parker [14:58] -
On hopefulness:
“I am one who always believes that good and light will win in the end.”
— Nicole Parker [13:48]
Timeline of Important Segments
- [02:21] — Nicole Parker introduces the concept of the “Two FBIs.”
- [03:44] — Discussion on early shifts during the Obama administration and the rise of DEI.
- [05:42] — Detailed analysis of James Comey's Clinton email announcement as the breaking point.
- [07:31] — The Russia investigation and further politicization.
- [10:05] — Parker evaluates the Trump administration’s impact and Christopher Wray’s tenure.
- [13:33] — She comments on the Biden and current Trump administrations, hope for reform, and the way forward for the FBI.
Closing Summary
Nicole Parker’s candid discussion offers a rare inside look at the FBI’s fracturing into warring camps: patriots committed to apolitical service, and those she describes as partisan actors exploiting power. She warns of long-standing, deep-rooted issues but holds onto hope, noting positive steps under the Trump administration, especially the elimination of DEI programs and efforts to restore trust. Parker’s book and interview stand as a call to acknowledge organizational failures, lift up the righteous, and keep public institutions accountable to their core mission.
For listeners seeking an unvarnished account of the modern FBI’s struggles, Parker’s perspective is both sobering and, ultimately, guardedly optimistic.