Nicolle Wallace sharply criticized outgoing FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino on MS NOW’s Deadline: White House, calling him “a freaking joke” and mocking his tight t-shirts. She contrasted the FBI’s child-protection work with allegations that Bongino promoted Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theories on his podcast and suggested he failed to challenge efforts to withhold files naming President Trump. Bongino has said he doesn’t “like” the job and will leave in January; President Trump praised his work.
Nicolle Wallace Calls Dan Bongino 'A Freaking Joke,' Criticizes His Conduct and Clothing
MS NOW host Nicolle Wallace delivered a blunt critique of outgoing FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino during Wednesday’s episode of Deadline: White House, where she was joined by former Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Feinberg and investigative journalist Carol Leonnig.
Wallace offered an unvarnished assessment of Bongino’s public persona and tenure, arguing that aspects of his behavior undercut the credibility expected of the FBI’s second-ranking official.
“This guy is a freaking joke. He wears t-shirts that are obviously too small,”
Wallace said she found it striking that Bongino publicly complained about long workdays while serving as the FBI’s deputy director, given the agency’s responsibilities. She contrasted that criticism with the Bureau’s work protecting children from sex traffickers and other serious threats.
Wallace also criticized Bongino’s prior media output, saying his podcast promoted conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein and that he did not sufficiently push back when, she asserted, Pam Bondi and others moved to withhold files that included President Donald Trump’s name. Wallace cited reporting she said confirmed those details, referencing Susie Wiles’s on-the-record confirmations compiled by Chris Whipple.
In May, Bongino told Fox News that the job had been personally difficult and that he did not “like” it. He described long hours and personal sacrifice after moving from podcasting to the FBI:
“I gave up everything for this. I’m in there at 7:30 in the morning, I stare at these four walls all day in D.C., by myself—separated from my wife—and it’s hard. I mean, we love each other, and it’s hard to be apart.”
President Trump confirmed reports of Bongino’s impending departure this week, praising him:
Bongino later posted on X (formerly Twitter) saying he will leave the post in January.“Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show.”
The exchange on Deadline: White House highlighted sharp media and internal criticism of Bongino’s approach to the deputy director role, and raised broader questions about how personalities from media backgrounds adapt to high-level law enforcement positions.
