On Sunday, President Donald Trump revealed his choice of Dan Bongino, a conservative commentator and former Fox News host, as the new deputy director of the FBI. This decision marks a significant shift as the role is traditionally filled by a seasoned career agent, highlighting Trump’s preference for media figures in influential government positions.

Bongino will work alongside Kash Patel, who was recently confirmed as FBI director by the Senate. Trump praised Bongino, stating in a social media post, “Dan Bongino, a man with remarkable passion for our country, has just been named the next DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI, alongside the outstanding Director, Kash Patel. Together, they will restore fairness, justice, law, and order to America swiftly.”

This appointment does not require Senate approval. Bongino, a previous Secret Service agent and NYPD officer, has made several unsuccessful Congressional runs. He shifted his focus toward media after establishing his own website in 2019, launching a podcast and radio show that replaced a slot once occupied by Rush Limbaugh.

Notably, Bongino has no prior FBI experience, which breaks with a long-standing tradition of the deputy director being a career agent within the bureau.

As a prominent pro-Trump podcaster, Bongino has propagated various unsubstantiated claims regarding the FBI’s operations, including assertions made earlier this year about the bureau’s communication regarding the placement of pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic National Committees just before the January 6 Capitol incident.

Recently, the FBI released footage of an individual installing one of the bombs near the DNC as part of its renewed initiative to identify the suspect. In a recent podcast episode, Bongino claimed, “If this video has been sitting in place for four years, someone must know who this bomber is, and Trump will find out.” He criticized the FBI’s failure to disclose any identifying information as “the biggest scandal of our time.”

Bongino has been a vocal supporter of conspiracy theories surrounding the FBI’s 2022 search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate for classified materials, suggesting it was an effort by President Joe Biden’s administration to undermine the former president.

He stated in a social media post that “everyone connected to this DOJ/FBI fiasco should be rapidly dismissed once the tyrants are out of office.”

Bongino is among many former Fox News personnel appointed to Trump’s administration, which includes figures like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Trump has a history of staffing his administrations with employees from the network.

Concerned FBI officials communicated to NBC News that typically, the deputy director oversees the bureau’s operations and manages the special agents that lead the agency’s 55 field offices nationwide.

Before Trump’s announcement, NBC News obtained a memo from the FBI Agents Association suggesting that Bongino may not be suitable for the deputy director role. The memo, while not naming individuals, advocated for a deputy director with active membership in the bureau. “The FBI Deputy Director should continue the tradition of being an active Special Agent, as has been the practice for over 117 years, given the need for operational expertise and trust among the Special Agents,” the memo stated.

Former Justice Department officials, including Attorney General William Barr, who served during Trump’s first term, have voiced concerns about Patel’s inexperience in the FBI.

The appointments of Patel and Bongino come during a period marked by significant personnel changes within the FBI. The head of the Washington Field Office, tasked with overseeing the extensive January 6 investigation, was recently dismissed, along with six senior FBI executives and several field office heads across the nation.

Democratic leaders have alleged that Patel is behind the secret dismissals of veteran civil servants at the bureau. Following these claims, Erika Knight, a spokesperson for Patel, issued a response to the situation, labeling the narrative as “false,” but did not address the allegations explicitly.

Knight emphasized that “Kash Patel is a highly qualified national security expert committed to transparency with the American public and possesses the integrity and leadership required for this role. The Senate should expedite his confirmation.”

Recently, Trump indicated plans to “terminate some” FBI personnel involved in the Capitol riot investigations, raising concerns about widespread layoffs as part of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative aimed at significantly reducing the federal workforce.