As of today, Monday, March 17, 2025, at 11:45 AM PDT, Dan Bongino has officially been sworn in as the Deputy Director of the FBI, marking a significant shift in the leadership of the nation’s premier law enforcement agency. A former New York City police officer and Secret Service agent turned conservative media personality, Bongino brings a fiery, pro-Trump perspective to the role, having been tapped by newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel. This appointment, announced by President Trump last month, bypasses the traditional expectation that the deputy director be a career FBI agent with decades of operational experience, instead placing a staunch Trump ally in a position to oversee the bureau’s day-to-day domestic and international operations. Bongino’s inauguration today, following the end of his popular podcast The Dan Bongino Show on March 14, signals the start of a new era at the FBI, one that Patel has promised will refocus the agency on traditional crime-fighting while addressing what they call politicization under previous leadership.
 

Bongino’s rise to this post has been accompanied by bold rhetoric, including his assertion that the FBI needs a “housecleaning” to root out corruption and restore public trust—views he’s expressed for years on his podcast and radio show. His supporters, including some posts found on X, celebrate this move as a decisive blow against what they perceive as a weaponized agency, with sentiments suggesting that leftist criminals are about to face a reckoning. The term “FAFO” (short for “F*** Around and Find Out”) has emerged in these discussions, implying that those who have allegedly exploited the system—particularly those on the left—will now face the consequences of their actions under Bongino’s and Patel’s watch. This narrative aligns with Bongino’s past criticisms of the FBI’s handling of high-profile cases, including his claims of a “deep state” conspiracy, and his call for investigations into figures like former Presidents Obama and Biden, which he believes were ignored due to political bias.
 

The establishment narrative might frame Bongino’s lack of FBI experience and his history of spreading election misinformation as a risk to the agency’s independence, but his supporters argue this outsider status is precisely what’s needed to shake up a stagnant bureaucracy. Critics, including some Democrats and former FBI agents, worry that his appointment could enable political retribution, especially given the recent ousting of senior officials and demands for agent names tied to January 6 investigations. However, Bongino’s backers counter that the FBI’s recent turmoil—exacerbated by leadership clashes with the Justice Department—demands a fresh approach, and his law enforcement background, combined with his unapologetic style, will ensure accountability. Whether leftist criminals truly “FAFO” remains speculative, but with Bongino now in place, the stage is set for a contentious chapter at the FBI, where the balance between justice and political agendas will be fiercely debated.