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Dan Bongino clashes with ex-MAGA rep as he returns to civilian life

Dan Bongino, former deputy director of the FBI, speaks with Kash Patel, the FBI director, as they attend the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum on September 11, 2025 in New York City
Dan Bongino, former deputy director of the FBI, speaks with Kash Patel, the FBI director, as they attend the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum on September 11, 2025 in New York City (Getty Images)
  • Dan Bongino, ex-deputy FBI director, got into an explosive and profanity-filled exchange with conservative media personality and former MAGA congressman Matt Gaetz.
  • The feud began when Gaetz used an AI chatbot to highlight Bongino's three unsuccessful congressional campaigns.
  • Bongino responded with strong insults, calling Gaetz a “phony” and “piece of s***”, referencing Gaetz's past accusations of sexual misconduct and “shady parties.”
  • Gaetz, a former Florida representative, had previously withdrawn from a nomination for Attorney General under Donald Trump due to a House Ethics Committee investigation into sexual misconduct allegations.
  • Bongino, a former law enforcement officer, returned to content creation after a brief stint as deputy FBI director, having previously run for Congress unsuccessfully three times.
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