FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino pushed back on a growing wave of criticism targeting him and FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday following the publication of an unofficial report from anonymous FBI personnel criticizing the bureau’s leaders.
“A LOT of people are very upset at the changes and reforms we’ve made at the FBI,” Bongino wrote on X. “They will do anything to revert to the old ways of doing things. So they leak gossipy nonsense to media outlets and ‘journalists’ with a clear agenda, and they ignore the historic results and the significant reforms we instituted. Judge the results. I work for you, not for headlines.”
His response came after the New York Post published a 115-page anonymous assessment purportedly compiled from 24 active-duty and retired agents and analysts. The document, addressed to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), paints Patel’s first six months as director as chaotic, describes the bureau as a “rudderless ship,” and characterizes the Patel–Bongino leadership team as inexperienced and overly focused on media and self-promotion.
Despite claims that the report would be presented to Congress this week, sources for the Senate and House Judiciary committees told the Washington Examiner they have not yet received the document, with one source saying it was unclear when the report would be submitted.
According to the document, sources described Patel as “in over his head” and Bongino as “something of a clown.” The anonymous authors, who present themselves as generally supportive of Trump in the report, said their intent was not to produce a “hit piece” but to warn that the FBI is suffering from low morale, operational uncertainty, and missteps they attributed to a lack of experience at the top.
The report also includes critical anecdotes of Patel’s conduct in the aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination in Utah, such as when he allegedly refused to exit an aircraft until provided an FBI raid jacket with specific patches.
The report also faults bureau leadership and Attorney General Pam Bondi for the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, alleging that agents were pulled from other assignments to redact documents earmarked for release, only for Trump and Bondi to halt the disclosure. One veteran agent described the fallout as having caused “significant” reputational damage.
Other sources quoted in the document raised concerns that Patel demanded polygraph examinations of personnel following internal criticism, said he mishandled a request for an FBI-issued firearm, and said he and Bongino spend too much time on social media.
Still, several contributors praised Patel for rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, prioritizing case work over headquarters administrative roles, and supporting aggressive joint operations with federal prosecutors.
Another section of the report blames some of the internal problems on holdover FBI special agents “who dislike President Donald J. Trump and who exhibit signs of what is commonly referred to as ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome,’” a commonly used phrase among fans of the president to disparage the intensity of his critics.
The authors argued that embedded factions of “left-leaning” employees remain resistant to the Trump administration’s direction but warned that the bureau’s problems go beyond internal politics and now stem from leadership decisions. They urged Patel and Bongino to “heed the criticism” if they want reforms to succeed.
The assessment landed on top of several unrelated controversies already dogging Patel, including scrutiny about his use of government aircraft for personal travel and, separately, his decision to assign an FBI SWAT team to protect his girlfriend. Those episodes have compounded internal discontent and added pressure to an already-sensitive leadership transition.
Bongino has responded to criticism raised in recent media articles about the bureau. Last month, he took to X to address a report in the Daily Mail that said he was hired “with no background check,” saying that is “just a lie.”
All,
I’m sincerely sorry for wasting your time on a weekend with nonsensical media fairytales, and I do realize the act of addressing this puts even more eyes on it.
However, I work for you all, the American citizenry, on our nations’ top national security issues, and I can’t… pic.twitter.com/4P0M6h8hn9— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) November 15, 2025
“I held a security clearance, while protecting Democrat and Republican presidents, for over ten years,” he posted on Nov. 15, adding, “all of the background check requirements for my current position as Deputy Director of the FBI have been met. Those are simple facts.”
In past remarks, Patel and Bongino have insisted that many of the complaints made against them stem from anger over their efforts to reverse, in their view, years of partisanship within the bureau during both the Biden administration and Trump’s first term. The FBI was at the center of multiple politically charged investigations that targeted Trump and his allies for years, and it has suffered from a decline in public trust as a result.
Meanwhile, the White House denied reports last week that Patel was on the verge of being removed, after a report from MS NOW cited anonymous sources who said the president was weighing Patel’s firing. The report also noted a statutory timeline that would allow for Co-FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey to fill Patel’s role in an acting capacity starting on Dec. 15. Bailey, the former Republican attorney general for Missouri, was appointed to his post in the bureau on Sept. 15.
This story is completely made up.
In fact, when this Fake News published, I was in the Oval Office, where President Trump was meeting with his law enforcement team, including FBI Director Kash Patel.
I read the headline to the President and he laughed. He said: “What? That’s… https://t.co/qbsy0nW2Bg pic.twitter.com/aNL5Qw9MA8
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) November 25, 2025
PATEL SIGNALS COMEY CASE IS FAR FROM OVER: ‘STAY TUNED’
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the speculation about Patel’s future “completely made up,” posting a photo of Trump and Patel smiling and giving a thumbs-up.
The FBI has not publicly commented, beyond Bongino’s post, on the latest report featuring criticism of FBI leadership and did not respond to a request for comment. Patel has not directly responded to the criticisms.