Traditionally, the deputy FBI director has been a career FBI agent. That is particularly important when the director has no experience at the FBI. Donald Trump tonight announced he is appointing as deputy director Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and prolific conspiracy theorist. He has never spent a day working at the FBI, but he has spent many hours spouting baseless falsehoods about the bureau, such as that the FBI lied when they said they don’t have a suspect in the pipe bombs as outside the RNC and DNC on 1/15/21. Current and former FBI officials are appalled—and extremely concerned for the national security of the country.
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A few minutes before Trump made his announcement, my colleague @jonathan4ny obtained a memo from the FBI agents association which said in part:
“The FBI Deputy Director should continue to be an on-board, active Special Agent—as has been the case for 117 years for many compelling reasons, including operational expertise and experience, as well as the trust of our Special Agent population.”