FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has accused Fox News of airing “garbage reporting” amid rumors his and FBI Director Kash Patel’s days at the bureau are “numbered.”
The Fox report, which aired Sunday, cited 10 anonymous sources within the federal government who spoke to White House reporter Jacqui Heinrich. Heinrich said “knives are out” for Patel in part because President Donald Trump was not pleased with the bureau’s handling of the manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin.
Bongino told the former Fox News host Megyn Kelly that the report is a bunch of bull.
“Where are the knives?” Bongino asked on the Megyn Kelly Show. “Who’s holding the knives? The knives are out?”
Bongino proceeded to rattle off a laundry list of successes he claimed the FBI has enjoyed under his and Patel’s leadership. He countered that if Trump had a problem with the performance of him and Patel, he would tell them so himself.
“I don’t mean to get personal, but you know the president—like, do you think he’s the type to not call you?” he asked Kelly on Monday. “So I’m a little skeptical of garbage reporting about unnamed sources who may not like what I just told you, who are saying, oh my gosh, the knives are out. When everybody on the record is saying, ‘What are you talking about? Everything’s going great.’”
The White House has denied that Patel, a 45-year-old former federal prosecutor, and Bongino, a 50-year-old former Fox News host, are on their way out.
Bongino parted ways with Fox in 2023 after they could not agree on a contract extension. Even as a contributor, he would criticize the network’s decisions—like when it posted an edited version of an interview with Trump that removed the president’s claim that the 2020 election was “fake.”
“Director Patel and his team worked night and day to find this murderer and bring him to justice,” Communications Director Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Anyone who doubts his resolve and dedication—especially when Charlie was such a close friend to him—simply is using this extremely sad moment in a disgusting act of political gamesmanship. The focus was on catching this killer, and he will face the full wrath of the justice system.”
The sudden appointment of Former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey as co-director, sharing duties with Bongino, has led to speculation that a change in FBI leadership is imminent. The “co-deputy” role is unprecedented at the bureau.
Bailey was once Trump’s original choice to lead the FBI. He was sworn in on Monday and is required to be on the job for at least 90 days before he can become director—a requirement laid out by the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998.
Alleged displeasure with Patel was amplified by his performance in the immediate aftermath of Kirk’s murder. He announced that a suspect was taken into custody on the night of the slaying, on Wednesday, but quickly backtracked and conceded they had the wrong guy.
Tyler Robinson, 22, turned himself in to authorities two days later at the urging of his father, sources told ABC News. His turning himself in—and not being identified and captured by the FBI—has only increased pressure on Patel. The FBI has said that Robinson is not cooperating with investigators, but his romantic partner and family are.
At least publicly, Trump has stood behind the duo he appointed to lead the FBI.
“I’m very proud of the FBI,” he told Fox News Digital after Robinson’s arrest. “Kash, and everyone else—they have done a great job.”
The post Dan Bongino Blasts Fox News’ ‘Garbage Reporting’ on Charlie Kirk Probe appeared first on The Daily Beast.
