The Dan Bongino Show – Ep. 2451: “Another Act of Trans Violence”
Date: February 12, 2026
Host: Dan Bongino
Episode Theme:
In this episode, Dan Bongino delivers his signature direct, unapologetic analysis of recent political and cultural events, with a sharp focus on media narratives around violent incidents, especially acts of violence carried out by individuals identifying as transgender. He scrutinizes media coverage for bias and omission, discusses updates on violent crime trends, highlights the importance of government transparency, and hosts Senator Tommy Tuberville for an in-depth political conversation.
Main Themes & Episode Overview
- Media Misrepresentation: Critique of media language and narratives in reporting acts of violence, particularly those involving trans-identifying perpetrators, and the consequences of this obfuscation for public safety and policy.
- Police, FBI, and Law Enforcement: Commentary on interagency cooperation (or lack thereof) in high-profile cases like the Guthrie case; changes in prioritization and investigation strategies inside federal law enforcement.
- National Security Environment: Discussion of foreign policy, America's defense priorities, and the need for allies, with commentary from Senator Tuberville and clips from other conservative leaders.
- Congressional Dysfunction: Satirical and critical look at Congressional hearings and the perceived ineffectiveness of many lawmakers.
- Crime Rates & Policy Impact: Analysis on the measurable decline in violent crime and murder rates under current law enforcement strategies.
- Electoral Integrity & the Filibuster: Debate around the SAVE Act (targeting election fraud), the prospect of busting the Senate filibuster, and the future political implications.
- Conversation with Tommy Tuberville: A wide-ranging interview touching on fraud, elections, law enforcement, national security, and college athletes’ compensation.
- Technology & Surveillance State: Warnings about the privacy trade-offs involved in widespread adoption of surveillance and biometrics.
- Optimism & Societal Guidance: Despite coverage of serious issues, encouragement to appreciate daily life and not succumb to doom and gloom.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Media Narrative on Acts of Violence by Trans Individuals
- Bongino accuses mainstream media outlets of intentionally misreporting the biological sex of perpetrators in violent incidents involving trans individuals (e.g., Canadian school shooting).
- Asserts a lack of transparency hampers solutions:
"If you can't diagnose what the problem is, how are you going to apply the appropriate solution... whether in medicine or elsewhere?" [13:41] - Plays a montage highlighting media outlets referring to perpetrators as "female shooters" in recent violent acts, when they were biological males identifying as women [13:41–15:01].
- Expresses frustration at law enforcement and media using terms like “gun person” instead of “gunman,” arguing it's “euphemistic nonsense” [12:38].
2. Law Enforcement Coordination and Crime Trends
- Addresses the Guthrie case, criticizing poor cooperation between the FBI and local sheriff: "I'm pretty confident the cooperation level between the sheriff and the FBI is not good... There’s no winning here. That’s not what this is about. It’s about just solving the case." [07:09]
- Explains the FBI’s technological and analytical advantages but emphasizes the importance of supporting local law enforcement rather than operating in silos.
- Discusses internal reforms at the FBI to focus on “trans violence” and treat acts of ideologically motivated violence as domestic terrorism: "One of our major reforms was focused on this because this is a real problem. And anyone telling you otherwise is absolutely full of shit." [10:40]
- Describes FBI’s cultural shift: "We’re going to call terrorism, terrorism. That’s it. Change it. I’m not going to ask again." [19:37]
3. Crime Statistics and Media Spin
- Highlights significant drops in violent crime and homicide rates, pointing to new policing strategies and increased cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities [51:50–53:44].
- Rebuts the claim that the US “leads the world in mass shootings,” citing research from John Lott and The Federalist: "The United States had about 4.5% of the world’s population... it had just 2.9% of the public mass shootings." [23:10]
- Roasts news media for (in his view) qualifying reports on crime falling (e.g., Axios headline: “Violent Crime Plummets Despite Trump’s Crackdown”) and refusing to give credit to current administration or specific law enforcement approaches [54:30]: "Violent crime is down because, in conjunction with Republicans, in conjunction with your caucus and the president, we went and arrested violent criminals. This isn’t hard." [91:49]
4. National Security and Foreign Policy
- Argues that respect—not approval ratings—from international partners is the priority for US foreign policy: "I don’t give a shit if they liked me. If they didn’t like me... you damn well better respect [Trump]." [41:06]
- Endorses Secretary Rubio’s position that the US must prioritize its own defense and require NATO partners to pay their share:
Rubio [42:59]:
"The United States is under attack... the president has made very clear, his job is to protect the United States from threats against the United States." - Raises security concerns about Greenland and the Arctic region, referencing clips from VP J.D. Vance [44:41] and other administration figures [46:57].
5. Congressional Dysfunction
- Satirizes legislators like Jerry Nadler for sleeping during hearings [03:29], using their behavior as an example of Congressional unseriousness and ineffectiveness: "Can you at least stay up? There are unserious people in D.C. they are not there for the right reasons." [68:29]
- Critiques grandstanding and lack of substantive progress in hearings, referencing exchanges between AG Bondi and Rep. Zoe Lofgren [68:29–74:49].
6. Election Integrity & the Filibuster Debate
- Advocates for the SAVE Act and robust voter ID to eliminate fraud; calls out Democrats for opposing these measures: "Everybody knows why they don’t want these types of measures put in place." [82:42]
- Arguing Republicans should “bust the filibuster” if they control the Senate, since Democrats will eliminate it if given the chance [85:29]:
Tuberville [87:01]:
"Day one, the filibuster will be gone. The problem with that then is, how are we going to regain power again?"
7. Surveillance, Technology, and Privacy
- Cautions about the increasing role of surveillance technology (e.g., Ring, Nest, fitness trackers): “Once information is created digitally, by a camera or elsewhere, it is very difficult to destroy. Not impossible, but... as technology gets better, it's going to be almost impossible to destroy information that's created. You need to understand this.” [106:16]
- Urges listeners to make trade-offs “with open eyes” regarding privacy and convenience.
8. Economy and Job Data
- Summarizes good news on job growth with a segment from Kevin Hassett [107:41]: “Private sector jobs... went up 170,000. They absolutely blew out any expectation whatsoever.”
- Discusses the interplay of artificial intelligence, deportations, and shrinking federal workforce on labor force participation and wage growth.
- Offers an analogy: the “relativity problem” in the economy—middle-class gains may seem muted because upper-middle-class wealth is growing even faster [108:55].
9. Optimism, Family, and Life Perspective
- Rejects “doom and gloom” mentality, encouraging listeners to appreciate daily life (sunsets, time with family) and maintain perspective: "Don't let the doom and gloom set in. Man, we’re living in the golden age of politics in the greatest country in the world." [63:25]
- Plays a “timeline cleanse” video segment featuring a positive father-son fishing moment [61:10].
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On Media and Violent Crime Motives:
"It’s incredible how the media can never find a motive when the motive is kicking you right in the balls."
[15:02 – Dan Bongino]
On Law Enforcement Cooperation:
"There’s no winning here. That’s not what this is about. It’s about just solving the case... the cooperation here has not been great."
[07:09 – Dan Bongino]
On FBI Reforms and Accountability:
"We’re going to call terrorism, terrorism. That’s it. Change it. I’m not going to ask again."
[19:37 – Dan Bongino]
On Surveillance:
"Once information is created digitally, by a camera or elsewhere, it is very difficult to destroy..."
[106:16 – Dan Bongino]
Senator Tuberville on Election Integrity:
"The two things that the people are really, really headstrong about: one is close the borders... two is, Coach, is my vote going to count?"
[82:42 – Sen. Tommy Tuberville]
On Congress:
"There are unserious people in D.C. They are not there for the right reasons. I promise you, I did not go there to make money, okay?"
[68:29 – Dan Bongino]
On the National Security Imperative:
"This president’s job is to protect the United States, not have a global approval rating in EU that’s positive or 50.1%. Who gives a shit, folks?"
[47:25 – Dan Bongino]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [03:29] Critique of Congressional hearings and Jerry Nadler
- [07:09] Guthrie case and FBI-local police cooperation
- [10:40] “Trans violence” and FBI internal reform
- [12:38–15:01] Media montage and “gun person” commentary
- [17:35] Law enforcement, domestic terrorism, and Andy McCabe anecdote
- [23:10] Statistics on mass shootings in the US vs. the world
- [41:06] International respect vs. approval and NATO spending
- [42:59] Senator Rubio audio on US defense priorities
- [44:41] National security implications of Greenland (VP Vance clip)
- [46:57] Secretary Hegseth on defense procurement and threats
- [51:50] Congressional hearings, AG Bondi exchange, questioning value of hearings
- [54:30] Decline in violent crime statistics, media's “despite” narrative (Gutfeld quote)
- [61:10] “Timeline cleanse” – positive family fishing video
- [68:29–74:49] Criticism of Congress, grandstanding, AG Bondi hearings, and takeaways
- [82:42–87:01] Tuberville interview: fraud, SAVE Act, and filibuster
- [91:49] FBI’s support for Alabama police, crime stats, and Huntsville FBI footprint
- [106:16] Surveillance technology warning and privacy trade-offs
- [107:41] Economic data and AI/job market (Kevin Hassett segment)
- [108:55] Why wealth growth feels uneven ("relativity problem")
- [110:00+] Closing with Tuberville: national security briefing reality, local optimism, college sports
Episode Tone & Language
Bongino brings a highly energetic, combative, and sometimes caustic style, blending humor, sarcasm, and personal anecdotes. He is blunt in his critiques—frequently punctuated with coarse language and rhetorical questions—while also taking time for moments of encouragement and moral perspective.
Summary for New Listeners
This episode doubles down on criticisms of media bias and government opacity regarding ideological motivations for violence—especially trans-related incidents. Bongino details law enforcement reforms he claims to have influenced, lambastes the political establishment’s ineffectiveness, and celebrates measurable declines in violent crime. He champions transparency, robust national security, and practical election integrity, arguing these are matters of existential importance. The in-depth segment with Senator Tuberville covers legislative battles, upcoming elections, and the risk of failing to adapt strategies (like filibuster reform) to shifting political realities.
Throughout, Bongino offers segments for reflection—urging listeners not to be consumed by negativity and to cherish personal freedoms and daily joys.
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