President Trump confirmed on Wednesday that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino "wants to go back" to hosting his talk show. CBS News justice correspondent Scott MacFarlane has the details.

Washington

Dan Bongino is expected to leave his position at the FBI within days or weeks, according to multiple sources. President Trump confirmed that Bongino, a former media personality, intends to return to hosting his talk show and revive his media presence, which he left to join the administration.

The timing of Bongino's departure comes as the Justice Department faces deadlines on high-profile cases, including the release of Epstein files and developments in the January 6 pipe-bombing investigation. However, there is no evidence linking Bongino's exit to these events, despite his significant involvement in the pipe-bomb case.

Dan Bongino poised to exit FBI, sources say

It appears Dan Bongino's days at the FBI, well, they've come to an end. President Trump today confirming the deputy director, quote, wants to go back to hosting his talk show. CBS News Justice Correspondent Scott McFarland joins me now. This broke this afternoon. Was this expected, Scott? There has been a drumbeat over the last few weeks. Multiple sources tell CBS News the departure is expected in a matter of days or weeks, which means the end of this month or the end of this year could be the end of this week. Again, look at the bigger picture here. Dan Bongino is arguably one of the most famous career employees or political appointees in this administration in recent time, because he has a mass audience of millions. He has an empire that he walked away from to take this job. If he departs, there's an expectation he goes back to that and tries to resuscitate that and bring it back. You mean the radio show, podcasting and other things? Yeah. He has, he had a multi-platform media empire that truly did have millions of followers. He sacrificed that to take the job in the administration, I think some of his supporters would argue, and that he could try to reclaim that if he departs the administration in the coming days. Any sense at all, Scott, this is connected to what recently happened, an arrest in the pipe-bombing case related to the night before, January 6, 2021, DNC headquarters, RNC headquarters, or the pending deadline at the end of this week for the Justice Department to comply with the law seeking release of the Epstein files? Yeah, the timing is going to get noted by people that this is happening the same week. We expect an Epstein file release, but there's no reason to believe there's a connective tissue between those two. Pipe-bomb case is a different matter. It was his big case, the one he stood at a press conference and helped announce, one that he said was a personal project of his or initiative of his to amplify. That case is in its infancy. They haven't even gone to a detention hearing, leaving so early in this big case, that's going to get noticed. Scott McFarlane, with all the details.

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