Dan Bongino
Former Secret Service agent and FBI Deputy Director who describes the deep state as a "vast, well-funded cabal of wealthy Democrats and D.C. swamp elite," with over 21,000 mentions of "FBI" or "deep state" in his podcast transcripts.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Daniel John Bongino |
| Role | Former Secret Service Agent / FBI Deputy Director (2025-) / Podcaster / Author |
| Platform | The Dan Bongino Show (podcast and radio), Fox News (former contributor) |
| Notable Works | Follow the Money: The Shocking Deep State Connections of the Anti-Trump Cabal (2020), Spygate: The Attempted Sabotage of Donald J. Trump (2018), The Gift of Failure (2016) |
Their Deep State Definition
Dan Bongino defines the deep state as a "vast, well-funded cabal of wealthy Democrats and D.C. swamp elite" who use their positions within government to advance a partisan agenda and undermine elected officials — specifically Donald Trump. His perspective is shaped by his career in federal law enforcement, first as an NYPD officer, then as a Secret Service agent protecting Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and later as FBI Deputy Director.
His deep state thesis is heavily focused on specific institutional corruption:
- FBI and DOJ leadership — Senior officials who weaponized investigations for political purposes (Crossfire Hurricane, Trump-Russia investigation)
- Intelligence community — CIA and DNI officials who leaked classified information to damage Trump
- Career bureaucrats — Unelected officials who actively resisted presidential directives
- Democratic donor class — Wealthy individuals who fund and coordinate with deep state actors
- Media allies — Journalists who serve as conduits for deep state leaks and narratives
Bongino's analysis is notable for its specificity — he names individuals, cites specific documents (FISA applications, FBI 302 forms, text messages), and traces operational timelines.
Key Quotes
"The deep state is a vast, well-funded cabal of wealthy Democrats and D.C. swamp elite who will stop at nothing to maintain their grip on power."
"Spygate is the biggest political scandal in American history. The FBI and DOJ were weaponized against a sitting president."
"Follow the money. Every deep state operation has a money trail, and when you follow it, you find the same people over and over again."
"I spent my career protecting presidents. I know how this government works from the inside. And I'm telling you, the deep state is real."
Key Arguments & Evidence They Cite
- The Crossfire Hurricane investigation was initiated on flimsy pretexts to surveil the Trump campaign
- FISA applications against Carter Page relied on the unverified Steele dossier, funded by the Clinton campaign
- Text messages between FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page revealed political bias in the Russia investigation
- Obama administration officials conducted "unmasking" of Trump associates in intelligence reports at unprecedented rates
- The Mueller investigation was staffed with partisan prosecutors who found no Trump-Russia collusion after two years
- FBI leadership (Comey, McCabe) leaked classified information to media for political purposes
- The Hunter Biden laptop story was suppressed by intelligence community figures who signed the "51 former intelligence officials" letter
- Deep state actors embedded in the Trump administration actively worked to undermine his agenda ("resistance" officials)
- Financial connections link Democratic donors to organizations that coordinate with government deep state actors
- Over 21,000 mentions of "FBI" or "deep state" across his podcast transcripts demonstrate the consistency and depth of his coverage
Where They've Said It
- The Dan Bongino Show — daily podcast with millions of listeners, extensive deep state coverage (2018-present)
- Follow the Money (2020) — book tracing financial connections of anti-Trump deep state actors
- Spygate (2018) — book documenting FBI/DOJ surveillance of the Trump campaign
- Fox News contributor appearances (2019-2023)
- Westwood One radio show
- Congressional campaign speeches (2012, 2014, 2016 — all unsuccessful runs)
- Social media posts on Rumble, X/Twitter, and Truth Social
- Interviews on Fox & Friends, Hannity, and other Fox News programs
- Public statements as FBI Deputy Director (2025-present)
Related Perspectives
- Donald_Trump — Bongino is among Trump's most prominent media allies on deep state issues
- Darren_Beattie — shares focus on FBI operations and specific institutional corruption
- Candace_Owens — fellow conservative media voice on deep state topics
- Alex_Jones — broader conspiratorial framework, though Bongino maintains a more evidence-specific approach
- Andrew_Napolitano — shares law enforcement and legal perspective
- Lara_Logan — shares insider perspective on deep state media operations
Other Coverage Worth Reading
- Scott Ritter: Former UN weapons inspector and USMC intelligence officer who describes the deep state as a system of unaccountable...
- David Icke: Author and lecturer who describes a "corporatized, militarized, entrenched global bureaucracy" — the "Global Deep State" — working...
- James Corbett: Independent journalist who defines the deep state as "an unelected, unaccountable, largely unknown group behind the facade of...
- Joe Rogan: Podcaster and comedian whose views on the deep state have evolved from affirming "this thing he was saying...
Sources
- Bongino, Dan. Follow the Money: The Shocking Deep State Connections of the Anti-Trump Cabal. Post Hill Press, 2020.
- Bongino, Dan. Spygate: The Attempted Sabotage of Donald J. Trump. Post Hill Press, 2018.
- The Dan Bongino Show podcast transcripts, various episodes, 2018-present.
- Department of Justice Inspector General Report on Crossfire Hurricane, December 2019.
- FISA Court documents, Carter Page applications, declassified 2020.
This information was compiled by Claude AI research.