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Investing.com -- Former President Donald Trump has appointed podcaster and commentator Dan Bongino as deputy director of the FBI. Bongino, a staunch Trump ally, will serve under newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel.
Announcing the appointment on social media, Trump praised Bongino as "a man of incredible love and passion for our Country."
Shares of Rumble Inc (NASDAQ:RUM), a video-sharing platform that has hosted Bongino’s videos for years, fell more than 1% in premarket trading Monday.
Chris Pavlovski, CEO of Rumble, confirmed that Bongino would step back from content creation while serving in the FBI.
Bongino, who is a shareholder in Rumble, has been described by Pavlovski as “a pioneer and a free speech warrior,” adding that Rumble looks “forward to his return when this next phase of his service to his country concludes.”
The 50-year-old podcaster has a background in law enforcement, having worked for the New York Police Department and the Secret Service. He has been a vocal supporter of Trump and has promoted false claims about the 2020 election and other controversial issues.
His podcast, The Dan Bongino Show, has frequently delved into conspiracy theories, including questioning the FBI’s role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. In 2022, YouTube suspended him for spreading misinformation about mask usage during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a segment of his podcast on Friday, Bongino discussed his new role, praising Patel and attempting to ease Democratic concerns that the FBI would be used to target Trump’s political opponents.
"Kash Patel is there for one reason, he is there to make the FBI great again," he said. He emphasized that his focus would be solely on fighting crime, describing Patel as the "change agent" the agency needs.
"How amazing would it be in four years to look back with a good, high-quality, reformed FBI free of woke culture and DEI that goes out making headline, big arrests of real bad guys destroying your community. How good would that be?" he added.
Bongino played a key role in mobilizing young, “bro-culture” voters for Trump alongside influencers like Adin Ross and the Nelk Boys. His podcast and social media clips have garnered millions of views, contributing to Trump’s outreach to younger demographics.