Daniel John Bongino (born December 4, 1974) is an American conservative[1] political commentator, radio show host, and author. He serves as a host of The Dan Bongino Show on Rumble. He served as host of the Unfiltered with Dan Bongino on Fox News until April 2023.
Also in 2011, The Baltimore Sun reported that Bongino was the lead investigator of a car rental fraud scheme. His work contributed to two people being indicted on federal wire fraud charges.[8]
A year later, he published a memoir, Life Inside the Bubble (2013), about his career as a Secret Service agent and political campaign. The book addresses his experiences protecting presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, investigating federal crimes, and mounting a campaign for US Senate.
Bongino was criticized by former colleagues at the Secret Service for using his Secret Service background as part of his run for political office and for his claim of having secret information based on conversations he overheard in the Obama White House.[10][11][2] A former colleague criticized him for trying to use his proximity to President Barack Obama in his political career: "He's trying to draw attention to himself and he's hijacking the Secret Service brand. That's all he's got going for him." Bongino said he had access to "high-level discussions" in the White House.
Unnamed former colleagues say Bongino "tends to exaggerate his importance on the presidential detail and exaggerate his proximity" and that "We don't sit in on meetings at the White House. We don't sit in on high-level meetings."[10] In response to the criticism from an anonymous former colleague, Bongino said, "There's nothing confidential in the book" and "It's not a tell-all. It's my tale of the Secret Service."[9] He rejected birtherism, the claim that President Obama was born outside the United States.[12]
In January 2016, he published a second book, The Fight: A Secret Service Agent's Inside Account of Security Failings and the Political Machine.[13]
In 2019, Bongino published Exonerated: The Failed Takedown of President Donald Trump by the Swamp. It was on The New York Times Best Seller list with a dagger (the NYT Bestseller list version of an asterisk) indicating the book benefitted from bulk sales.[14] In August 2020, he denied that his book benefited from bulk sales, maintaining the only event at which books were bought in bulk took place over a month after his book appeared on the list.[15]
Media
Bongino in 2016
Bongino has been a radio host and commentator on local and national radio programs. He has been a guest host for both the Sean Hannity and Mark Levin radio shows, and sometimes fills in on WMAL-FMtalk radio in Washington, D.C. and WBAL in Baltimore. He was a paid contributor to NRATV until December 2018.[16][17][18]
Bongino is a proponent of Spygate, a conspiracy theory alleging illegal spying on Donald Trump's 2016 campaign was perpetrated by Barack Obama's administration. He wrote a book on the subject titled Spygate: The Attempted Sabotage of Donald J. Trump (2019).[20]
In December 2019, Bongino launched the website Bongino Report as an alternative to the conservative Drudge Report website.[21] Prior to the site's launch, he criticized Drudge Report founder Matt Drudge for having "abandoned" Trump supporters.[22]
Politico reported in October 2020 that Bongino's posts on Facebook were routinely among the most shared on the platform.[23]
In November 2020, The New York Times listed Dan Bongino as one of its top five election "misinformation superspreaders".[24]
In the wake of the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, Bongino's Twitter account was temporarily shut down on January 7, 2021, for violating Twitter's Civic Integrity policy.[25]
Bongino, a former host of NRATV (National Rifle Association Television) among his other pursuits, was a vociferous defender on his podcast of the insurrectionists who stormed the US Capitol. He depicted the riot as a natural result of political violence normalized by leftists, particularly by Black Lives Matter protestors following the murder of George Floyd. In the episode "About Yesterday" on January 7, 2021, Bongino declared that liberal media hypocritically celebrated the violence committed in the summer and fall of 2020 by protesters for racial justice. He also assailed Twitter as a liberal organization dedicated to destroying conservative values, then called for his listeners to rise against media totalitarianism through social media.[26]
In March 2021, Cumulus Media signed Bongino to replace The Rush Limbaugh Show on its talk radio stations. Cumulus already carried Bongino's existing one-hour podcast.[27] In May of that year, Fox News announced it had signed Bongino to host a new weekend program, Unfiltered With Dan Bongino, starting on June 5.[28] Between July and August 2021, Bongino hosted Canceled in the USA, a five-part series on cancel culture for Fox Nation, featuring interviews with people who have been "canceled" due to their opinions or beliefs.[29] Bongino's show draws an estimated 8.5 million listeners, according to October 2021 estimates from Talkers Magazine, a talk radio trade magazine; among the numerous shows competing to succeed Limbaugh, it ranked second, behind Premiere Networks' designated successor to Limbaugh, The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show.[30]
In January 2022, Bongino was permanently banned from YouTube for using his main account in an attempt to circumvent a temporary suspension imposed on his secondary account after he had posted a video questioning the efficacy of masks against COVID-19 during the pandemic.[31][32] Bongino had already quit YouTube and had moved his podcast to Rumble before YouTube implemented their ban, making it a moot point.[citation needed]
On December 11, 2022, Bongino announced plans to end his Cumulus radio show at the end of his contract 18 months in the future.[33] Cumulus began phasing his show out of its stations' lineups beginning in June 2023.[34] In December 2023, Bongino reversed course, securing a multi-year contract extension with Westwood One.[35]
On April 20, 2023, Bongino announced that he had parted ways with Fox News, citing failed contract negotiations.[36]
Conflict over COVID-19 vaccine mandates
On October 19, 2021, Bongino said that he opposed corporate vaccine mandates, although he said he was vaccinated. He called on his employer, Cumulus Media, to end their vaccine mandate, which had been announced in September. Unvaccinated employees at Cumulus had already been let go on October 11 and replaced.
"You can have me or the mandate. But you can't have both of us," Bongino said on his show.[37] After taking nearly two weeks off, he returned to announce he was negotiating his ultimatum with Cumulus,[38] and starting a fund for former employees of Cumulus fired because of the vaccination mandate.[39]
Brian Rosenwald, a talk radio historian, believed Bongino's request was never much of an ultimatum, seeing little reason for Cumulus or its host to sever ties. Rosenwald commented:[40]
I think it was a cynical ploy, to some extent. There was an incentive for him to stay with them because of that platform, and they've invested a lot of money in launching this show and building it up.
In a December 2021 interview with The New Yorker, Bongino stated that he had been vaccinated for COVID-19, at the advice of his doctor due to his lymphoma.[41]
In 2018, Bongino said, "My entire life right now is about owning the libs. That's it."[42][2][43] He is a supporter of former president Donald Trump.[19][1]
According to Mother Jones, Bongino is a member of Groundswell, a group of conservative activists working to advance conservative causes.[44]
Bongino has called the investigation of possible Trump-Russia collusion a "total scam",[45] and is a proponent of the Spygate conspiracy theory.[46] In May 2018, he was quoted by Trump in a tweet, as saying that former CIA Director John Brennan "has disgraced the entire Intelligence Community. He is the one man who is largely responsible for the destruction of American's faith in the Intelligence Community and in some people at the top of the FBI."[47] Bongino was also quoted as alleging that Brennan was "worried about staying out of jail".[47]
Bongino reportedly told the House Judiciary Committee during hearings on police brutality that efforts to reduce the funding of police departments were an "abomination" that should be dropped "before someone gets hurt".[50][51]
After Joe Biden won the 2020 election and Donald Trump refused to concede, Bongino backed his false claims of election fraud,[1][52] and claimed that Democrats had rigged the election.[53]
Bongino has been a strong critic of face mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic,[3] stating that face masks are "largely ineffective" and deriding them as "face diapers" on occasion.[1][41]
Bongino ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in Maryland in 2012.[54] Former gubernatorial candidate Brian Murphy was his campaign chairman.[7] Bongino won the Republican primary on April 3, 2012, with 33.8 percent of the vote, defeating nine other candidates. He lost the general election in a landslide, taking only 26.6% of the vote against incumbent Democrat Ben Cardin in a three way election battle.[55]
Bongino ran for the U.S. House of Representatives seat from Maryland's 6th Congressional District in the 2014 election against incumbent Democrat John Delaney. Bongino narrowly lost to Delaney by 1.5 percentage points. Bongino carried four of the district's five counties, but had a 20,500-vote deficit in the district's share of Montgomery County in the outer suburbs of Washington.[56][57]
In an August 2016 interview with a Politico reporter, Bongino went on a profanity-laced rant against the reporter, who asked about a story in the Naples Daily News that Bongino said was dishonest.[61] The recorded phone call was published by Politico.[62] He placed third in the August 2016 primary, losing the nomination to Rooney.[63]
Personal life
Bongino is married to Paula Andrea, née Martinez, who was born in Colombia. They have two daughters. In 2012, he and his wife operated three home-based businesses, selling martial arts apparel, designing Web sites, and consulting on security and risk management.[64] While running for office in 2016, Bongino resisted talking about his business interests and said he and his wife had shut them down.[65]
Bongino announced in June 2020 that he had purchased an "ownership stake" of unspecified value in Parler, an alternative social media platform.[67][68][69]
Cancer diagnosis
On September 23, 2020, Bongino announced that a seven-centimeter tumor had been found in his throat. He added that he was unsure if the tumor was cancerous or benign, but would fly to New York on September 25 for further screening.[70] On October 2, he said that he had received a "bad phone call" from doctors, and announced that he would be undergoing surgery on October 7.[71]
Following his surgery, he tweeted that the "entire tumor" was removed from his neck, but that he likely had lymphoma. He said he would receive treatment in the future.[72] On October 16, he confirmed that he received an official diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma, adding that he would be continuing treatment in consultation with his doctors.[73] In an interview in July 2021, Bongino announced that he had "beaten" cancer.[74]
Electoral history
2016 Florida's 19th Congressional District Republican Primary[75]
Bongino, Dan (October 6, 2020). Follow the Money: The Shocking Deep State Connections of the Anti-Trump Cabal. New York: Post Hill Press. ISBN9781642936599.
Bongino, Dan (September 12, 2023). The Gift of Failure (And I'll rethink the title if this book fails!). New York: Post Hill Press (Liberatio Protocol). ISBN9798888450635.
Related Research Articles
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owned by the Fox Corporation. It is the most-watched cable news network in the U.S., and as of 2023 generates approximately 70% of its parent company's pre-tax profit. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan. Fox News provides a service to 86 countries and territories, with international broadcasts featuring Fox Extra segments during advertising breaks.
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III was an American conservative political commentator who was the host of The Rush Limbaugh Show, which first aired in 1984 and was nationally syndicated on AM and FM radio stations from 1988 until his death in 2021.
David Norman Bossie is an American political activist. Since 2000, he has been president and chairman of conservative advocacy group Citizens United and in 2016, Bossie was the deputy campaign manager to the Donald Trump presidential campaign.
Geraldo Rivera is an American journalist, attorney, author, and political commentator who worked at the Fox News Channel from 2001 to 2023. He hosted the tabloid talk show Geraldo from 1987 to 1998. He gained publicity with the live 1986 TV special The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults. Rivera hosted the news magazine program Geraldo at Large, hosts the occasional broadcast of Geraldo Rivera Reports. He served as a rotating co-host of The Five from 2022 to 2023. As of February 2024, Rivera retains the spot of correspondent-at-large with NewsNation.
Sean Patrick Hannity is an American conservative television presenter, broadcaster and writer. He hosts The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show, has hosted a self-titled political commentary program on Fox News since 2009, and co-hosted the original Fox News debate show Hannity & Colmes with Alan Colmes from the network's founding in 1996 to 2009.
Newsmax, Inc. is an American cable news, political opinion commentary, and digital media company founded by Christopher Ruddy in 1998. It has been variously described as conservative, right-wing, and far-right. Newsmax Media divisions include its cable and broadcast channel Newsmax TV; its website Newsmax.com, which includes Newsmax Health and Newsmax Finance; and Newsmax magazine, its monthly print publication.
Benjamin Aaron Shapiro is an American conservative political commentator, media host, and attorney. He writes columns for Creators Syndicate, Newsweek, and Ami Magazine, and serves as editor emeritus for The Daily Wire, which he co-founded in 2015. Shapiro is the host of The Ben Shapiro Show, a daily political podcast and live radio show. He was editor-at-large of Breitbart News from 2012 until his resignation in 2016. Shapiro has also authored sixteen non-fiction books.
Cumulus Media, Inc. is a broadcasting company of the United States and is the second largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States ahead of Audacy and behind iHeartMedia. As of June 2019, Cumulus lists ownership of 428 stations in 87 media markets. It also owns and operates Westwood One. Its headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia. Its subsidiaries include Cumulus Broadcasting LLC, Cumulus Licensing LLC and Broadcast Software International Inc.
Kimberly Ann Guilfoyle is an American television news personality and former prosecutor in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She served as an advisor and led the fundraising division of Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign.
The Rush Limbaugh Show was an American conservative talk radio show hosted by Rush Limbaugh. Since its nationally syndicated premiere in 1988, The Rush Limbaugh Show became the highest-rated talk radio show in the United States. At its peak, the show aired on over 650 radio stations nationwide.
Dan Goeb Patrick is an American radio talk show host, television broadcaster, and politician. He has been serving as the 42nd lieutenant governor of Texas since January 2015, under Governor Greg Abbott.
Mark Reed Levin is an American broadcast news analyst, columnist, lawyer, political commentator, radio personality, and writer. He is the host of syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show, as well as Life, Liberty & Levin on Fox News. Levin worked in the administration of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese. He is the former president of the Landmark Legal Foundation, an author of seven books, and contributor to media outlets such as National Review Online. Since 2015, Levin has been editor-in-chief of the Conservative Review and is known for his incendiary commentary.
Stephen Glenn Charles Hilton is a British and American political commentator, former political adviser, and contributor for Fox News Channel. He served as director of strategy for the British Prime Minister David Cameron from 2010 to 2012. Hilton hosted The Next Revolution, a weekly current affairs show for Fox News from 2017 to 2023. He is a proponent of what he calls "positive populism" and a vocal supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump. He was a co-founder of Crowdpac, but stepped down as CEO in 2018 due to conflicting values with the company.
The 2012 United States Senate election in Maryland took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate, House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ben Cardin won re-election to a second term, defeating Republican nominee Dan Bongino and independent Rob Sobhani.
Peter Brian Hegseth is an American television presenter, author, and Army National Guard officer who is the nominee for United States Secretary of Defense in Donald Trump's second cabinet. A political commentator for Fox News since 2014 and co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend from 2017 to 2024, he was previously the executive director of Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America.
The Freedom Caucus, also known as the House Freedom Caucus, is a congressional caucus consisting of Republican members of the United States House of Representatives. It is generally considered to be the most conservative and furthest-right bloc within the chamber. The caucus was formed in January 2015 by a group of conservatives and Tea Party movement members, with the aim of pushing the Republican leadership to the right. Its first chairman, Jim Jordan, described the caucus as a "smaller, more cohesive, more agile and more active" group of conservative representatives. Its current chairman, Andy Harris is considered to be a far-right politician due to his radical proposals. Members of the Freedom Caucus are typically considered a part of the MAGA movement and loyalists to Donald Trump.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Indiana took place on November 6, 2018, along with other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly lost re-election to a second term to Republican Mike Braun by a 6% margin. This was the second consecutive election for this seat where the incumbent was defeated and/or the seat flipped parties.
Presidential primaries and caucuses of the Republican Party took place in many U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories from February 3 to August 11, 2020, to elect most of the 2,550 delegates to send to the Republican National Convention. Delegates to the national convention in other states were elected by the respective state party organizations. The delegates to the national convention voted on the first ballot to select Donald Trump as the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States in the 2020 election, and selected Mike Pence as the vice-presidential nominee.
The 2022 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 8, 2022. Incumbent senator Lisa Murkowski won reelection to a fourth full term, defeating fellow Republican Kelly Tshibaka and Democrat Patricia Chesbro.
↑ Bergengruen, Vera (April 19, 2019). "The Mueller Probe Made Them Famous. They Plan to Keep Cashing In". Time. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2019. Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and frequent Fox News commentator, parlayed his bombastic defense of Trump into a book: "Spygate: The Attempted Sabotage of Donald J. Trump."
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
