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Axios
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
Patel and Bongino's choppy transition from roasting the FBI to running it
Kash Patel and Dan Bongino spent years torching the American security state for concealing nefarious secrets about Jeffrey Epstein, Jan. 6, the "Russia hoax" and the assassination attempts against President Trump. Now they're not only inside the gates, they're in charge of the FBI — and serving a president who distrusts the bureau even more than they do. The big picture: Patel and Bongino's recent Fox News interviews, and sources familiar with their reception inside the bureau, make clear the difficulties they face in maintaining confidence with three key audiences: their fans, their employees, and the president. 1. Some followers and fellow MAGA media figures who revered Patel and Bongino for pillorying the "Deep State" were aghast by their recent conspiracy-quashing comments, particularly that Epstein really killed himself. "People are pissed. They feel like Dan and Kash aren't doing the job, that they're beholden to some unseen powers," MAGA-aligned podcaster Tim Pool said Wednesday, adding that he "largely" still trusts the pair. Bongino — who left a lucrative podcasting gig to be Patel's deputy — told "Fox and Friends" he was finding it difficult not to be able to reveal information about ongoing investigations, and to be criticized by those who want to "divorce us from the people." He and Patel, who parlayed his reputation as one of Trump 1.0's most aggressive lieutenants into MAGA media stardom, have deep wells of goodwill from the base, despite the impatience for disclosures and deep state arrests. 2. The FBI's 38,000-strong workforce was never going to immediately embrace the idea of a couple of its biggest antagonists calling the shots, but it's been a tumultuous few months. Bureau veterans have privately mocked Bongino's emphasis on ideas like adding pull-ups to the fitness test and MMA-style training at Quantico. Some have pushed back on more substantive decisions, such as devoting scores of agents to partnering with ICE on immigration-related arrests, at the expense of other investigative priorities. Patel told Fox News that rank-and-file FBI employees are on board with its mission, they're clearing out the old leadership, and recruiting is at a five-year high. FBI spokespeople have pushed back on stories about Patel working remotely from Las Vegas, taking government planes to visit his girlfriend in Nashville, or downsizing the early morning briefings that past directors have taken. 3. While Trump has been publicly supportive, he did say it was "a little bit hard to believe" assertions from Patel and other senior law enforcement figures that there was no wider conspiracy behind the assassination attempts against him. Democrats such as Sen. Dick Durbin have claimed that because loyalty to Trump earned Patel and Bongino theirs posts, they'll lack the independence of past directors and simply say what Trump wants to hear or tailor investigations to suit the White House. What they're saying: "Many of these comments are from the same individuals responsible for the shameful politicization of the FBI in the first place. Their criticisms play no factor as we work to clean up the mess they helped leave behind," FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson told Axios. "FBI Director Patel and Deputy Director Bongino are doing an incredible job protecting the American people and bringing back law and order, justice and fairness to America," said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields. Driving the news: Patel and Bongino acknowledged in their recent flurry of interviews that their supporters want them to clean house, lock up Trump antagonists like ex-director James Comey, and reveal more about the malfeasance they and their MAGA media colleagues have long alleged the FBI engaged in — including fomenting the Jan. 6 riot and conspiring against Trump. Bongino made a plea for time, suggesting the skullduggery ran so deep that it would take months to uncover. He also claimed they had just discovered bags of hidden files from the Comey era, and would be prioritizing cases like the discovery of cocaine in the Biden White House. Williamson said Patel and Bongino "have committed to working with Congress to provide the American people the accountable and transparent FBI they deserve," and are "grateful for our interagency partners and the leadership of this administration in that pursuit." Zoom in: Bongino acknowledged the transition from flamethrower to G-man has been jarring. "Part of you dies a little bit when you see all this stuff from behind the scenes," he said on "Fox and Friends". He said a former listener told him "I miss you," and that he replied, "You know, I miss me too." He made clear he hates sitting in his FBI office all day and not being able to "swing back" at his critics. "It's difficult for me to not be able to respond like I used to, but there'll be a day, there'll be a day," Bongino said. "I'll be back one day."
NDTV
13 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Kash Patel Works For 13 Hours Daily, His Deputy Says Amid Nightclub Row
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel arrives at the office at 6 am and rarely leaves before 7 pm. About himself, Deputy Director Dan Bongino said while refuted reports questioning the leadership style of his boss. In a recent appearance on Fox News, Bongino described the personal sacrifices that come with the job. 'My wife is struggling. But I am not a victim. I am not James Comey (former FBI director). I did this and I am proud that I did it,' he said. In a bizarre moment, Dan Bongino sobbed on FOX and Friends: "I gave up everything for this, I mean, my wife is struggling and I stare at the four walls all day in DC, you know, by myself...." Hmm. So the big, strong Alpha male can't handle the job a woman previously filled. — MP Arizona☀️????️????????????????????????????????????????????????????????♍️???? (@AzPetrich) May 29, 2025 Comey had raised questions about Kash Patel and Dan Bongino's leadership. "There are lots of people in the FBI who know what they're doing. I hope these two guys are letting them guide them," he told CNN. Comey, a strong critic of Donald Trump, was fired by the President in 2017. Both Bongino and Patel have pushed back against criticism that the FBI's current leadership has lost touch with its mission, especially following delays in the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Bongino also addressed claims that Patel was disengaged from his responsibilities. Without directly naming critics, he said, 'If you think we are there for tea and crumpets...I mean, Kash is there all day.' He added that their offices are so close that he can even hear when Patel turns on a faucet. 'I stare at these four walls all day in DC, you know, by myself, divorced from my wife. Not divorced, but I mean, separated. And it's hard. We love each other, but it's hard to be apart,' Bongino said. Bongino's remarks come at a crucial time, as Kash Patel faces accusations that he prioritises social outings over his FBI duties. Earlier this month, former FBI counterintelligence chief Frank Figliuzzi suggested on MSNBC that Patel has been seen at nightclubs more often than at the Hoover Building's seventh floor. Figliuzzi also claimed that Patel's intelligence briefings have been reduced from daily to possibly twice a week. There have also been reports that Patel is splitting his time between Washington, DC, and Las Vegas, where he reportedly has a residence. Kashyap 'Kash' Patel was appointed FBI Director in February this year. Born in New York in 1980 to Gujarati parents, Patel spent part of his early years in East Africa before returning to the US. He completed his schooling at Garden City High School in Long Island.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dan Bongino actually has to do work at the FBI — and he doesn't like it
Dan Bongino, the deputy director of the FBI, appeared to become emotional on live national television Thursday. Not while recalling some gut-wrenching FBI child exploitation case, or a grisly mass shooting crime scene. No, Bongino, a former right-wing podcaster and conspiracy theorist, who is typically a tough-guy poser, went on the Fox News' morning show 'Fox and Friends'to whine about how taxing his new gig is. There's more here than meets the watery eye. 'I gave up everything for this,' he lamented before adding that FBI Director Kash Patel typically works 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and that 'I'm in there at 7:30 in the morning.' Bongino said, 'I stare at these four walls all day in D.C., by myself, divorced from my wife — not divorced, but I mean separated, divorced — and it's hard. I mean, we love each other, and it's hard to be apart.' After saying that the job has been tough on his family, he said, 'People ask all the time, 'Do you like it?' No. I don't.' Cry me a river. Bongino is describing what anyone in a senior FBI leadership role is expected to endure, particularly at headquarters. I've been there, done that. As an inspector and then chief inspector based in Washington, D.C., I had to live apart from family, travel extensively and fly home whenever a free weekend permitted. When I was named an assistant director, we agreed to let our son finish his last year of high school and then my wife joined me in D.C. And my experience was easier than senior executives at even higher levels. Entering the J. Edgar Hoover building before sunrise and leaving after sundown was the norm — for all of us. Such personal and professional sacrifice isn't limited to executives. Agents and professional specialists throughout the FBI's field offices routinely miss family events, their kids' birthday parties and games, and have their vacations and holidays disrupted. The same is true for career government servants across our institutions. Welcome to the real world, Mr. Bongino. It's not hard to surmise why Bongino felt it necessary to broadcast how hard he and Director Patel are working. Both are under increasing pressure from the Trump base to deliver on the conspiracy theories they promoted before Trump hired them and to expose the so-called deep state cover-ups they claimed existed. Moreover, Patel has been taking some heat lately on whether he's taking his job seriously — especially after he showed up unprepared for a budget hearing in Congress. Bongino seems particularly touchy about how he's perceived. When he got wind that The New York Times might publish an embarrassing account of how he was injured trying to grapple with an FBI instructor at the bureau's academy, Bongino tried to get out in front of it by issuing his own statement on X that confirmed he was no match for the FBI agent and that he got hurt. He said it was 'not an 'injury' but a bit of swelling in my right elbow.' Some of this transparent attempt at PR might be humorous if it weren't consistent with Trump world's misunderstanding of sacrifice. The president himself has equated the hard work he says he does with sacrifice and, most disgracefully, said it in response to a Gold Star family who said he'd 'sacrificed nothing.' And at a public event this Memorial Day, President Trump extolled his own accomplishments in office. In his 2019 book 'Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us,' Donald Trump Jr. wrote about Arlington National Cemetery this way: 'As we drove past the rows of white grave markers … I also thought of … all the sacrifices we'd have to make — giving up a huge chunk of our business and all international deals." The president's net worth has doubled to $5.4 billion since he ran for re-election. Much of that increased wealth is coming from the Trump family's engagements in the Middle East, including with an Emirates company that struck a deal to purchase $2 billion of a Trump family organization digital coin. While the FBI's deputy director bemoans his lot in life, and the president and his family get richer while pretending they've made substantial sacrifices for the country, perhaps they should consider the plight of Americans who work two jobs to make ends meet, the losses suffered by Ukrainians fighting for freedom, the horrors experienced by Israeli hostages and their families, and the agony of children in Gaza begging for a meal. Hard work is admirable, but if you're going to complain about it, you'll get little sympathy from me. This article was originally published on
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Time of India
16 days after US boat capsize, missing Gujarat girl's body found
Ahmedabad: The devastating cost of illegal migration was laid bare once again when the body of a 10-year-old girl was recovered on a California beach. Mahi Patel had gone missing after a smuggling boat carrying illegal migrants capsized more than a fortnight ago. Her 14-year-old brother Prince died in the same incident, while her parents remain hospitalized; one still in a coma. The Patel family, who hailed from Mehsana district in North Gujarat, had paid over Rs 2.60 crore to human traffickers. Mahi's remains were discovered by a passerby at the Torrey Pines State Beach, San Diego, on May 21. Her identity was confirmed through DNA testing, according to a statement issued by the California State Parks Department on Thursday. Official documents from the investigating agency state: "The decedent was one of multiple passengers upon a panga (small fishing vessel) that capsized on May 5 at Del Mar Beach. A passerby on May 21 found human remains on Torrey Pines State Beach and contacted law enforcement. Her parents were notified of DNA testing confirming that the remains belonged to the decedent." The cause and manner of death are currently pending further investigation. The boat had capsized due to rough ocean conditions, and emergency responders were immediately dispatched following a 911 call. At the time, Mahi was reported missing, while the bodies of Prince and at least two other migrants were recovered from the scene. Mahi's father, Brijesh Patel, was found unconscious and remains in a coma, while her mother, Sangita, is critically injured and hospitalised. This tragedy is part of a broader case involving human smuggling operations targeting migrants from India, particularly Gujarat. The Patel family had reportedly paid around Rs 65 lakh per person to traffickers who were operating from Kalol and were part of a larger human smuggling network that spanned Mexico, the US, and India. The Patels were part of a group of 10 individuals, including four others from Gujarat whose identities remain unconfirmed. US federal agencies have charged five individuals in connection with the case, including two Mexican nationals and three Americans. The charges include "bringing in aliens resulting in death" and "transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain". One of the accused was previously deported in 2023. According to available data, at least 11 Indian migrants have lost their lives in similar incidents since Jan 2022. The Patel family's journey, and its devastating outcome, is a heartbreaking reminder of the risks that families are willing to take to chase the American dream.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
A'bad man among 10 cheated of Rs 68L in delivery franchises scam
Ahmedabad: An e-commerce company based in Delhi and its directors allegedly cheated 10 people, including a man from Ahmedabad, of Rs 68.40 lakh by promising warehouse delivery franchises. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The victims were initially paid some money as warehouse rent and commission, but later the payments stopped. According to a police complaint filed by Ilen Patel from the Sola area, he first saw an advertisement on social media offering delivery franchise opportunities and applied for it. He received a call from a woman who asked him to visit the company's Prahladnagar office. There, two individuals — Devendra Goswami and Arthav — told him to pay Rs 11,000 as a token amount for an Ahmedabad district warehouse franchise, which Patel paid through UPI. He was later contacted by a man, Sanjay Sharma, who claimed to be the head of the company. Sharma suggested Patel take a zonal warehouse franchise instead and asked for Rs 12.5 lakh. Patel and his father paid the amount after discussion. They were promised Rs 25,000 monthly rent and a 1% commission. Following this, Patel rented a warehouse near Science City based on the company's instructions. He received Rs 1.88 lakh from the company in the first four months. After that, the company stopped making payments. Patel visited the company's Ahmedabad office but did not get a proper response. He later came in contact with others who had similar experiences. All of them invested money for the delivery franchise and were not repaid the money. The economic offence wing (EOW) of the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) registered a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy under the BNS Act and began an investigation.
