Threatening rhetoric from Democratic politicians and left-wing media is forcing top Trump officials to travel with extra layers of security.
That includes FBI Assistant Director Dan Bongino and border czar Tom Homan, though media outlets that frequently attack them for their no-nonsense approaches to reforming the bureau and enforcing immigration laws appear to only be concerned in “gotcha” angles to the story, such as the cost of those security details in an era where President Trump is seeking to shrink federal expenditures.
According to CBS News, citing unnamed sources, the security for Homan is approximately $500,000 per month. One unnamed official stated that the total monthly cost for protecting Homan—including agent salaries, flights, hotel stays, and other travel-related expenses—rises to nearly $1 million, as the administration continues to shield the high-profile immigration hardliner.
“DHS ensures our leaders are safe and protected,” Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin told CBS News on Friday, pointing to the “dangerous rhetoric” from politicians and activists targeting the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. She said the heated discourse has led to a rise in assaults and doxxing incidents, where officials’ personal information is exposed online.
“We will continue to take measures to ensure Mr. Homan and his family are safe,” McLaughlin added.
Homan is protected by a rotating team of special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigative arm of DHS, according to one source. Around 30 agents cycle through shifts to provide him with 24/7 security coverage, an unnamed source told CBS News.
“The protection for Homan — which includes a security detail at his home, when he drives to his offices in the White House West Wing and at Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s D.C. headquarters, or when he is out in public — is paid for by DHS,” the outlet reported.
Meanwhile, the FBI is putting up a multi-agency security team to safeguard Bongino 24 hours a day, including within agency headquarters.
According to the article, Bongino would be the first deputy director to receive this level of protection, which could require up to 20 agents. Earlier this month, the FBI circulated a request to its agents, seeking volunteers willing to step away from their regular duties to join a rotating security detail for Bongino as part of a “temporary duty assignment.”
“The question is, what is the actual risk and threat here, or does he just want a detail? This is taxpayer money we’re talking about,” former senior FBI official Frank Figliuzzi, a long-time critic of Trump and his two administrations, told NBC News.
Figluzzi also said that Bongino — who is a former NYPD officer and Secret Service agent — could become qualified to carry a firearm on his person, which Bongino has reportedly decided not to do.
“Of course he could carry — this is ridiculous,” Figliuzzi complained. “The question is, what is the actual risk and threat here, or does he just want a detail? This is taxpayer money we’re talking about.”
Also this month, Bongino took to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday night to provide an update on the FBI and what might be coming next.
“Headed back to DC today after spending a day back home with my wife and daughter. As I dive back into work, I want to reassure you that nothing that is happening here is happening by accident. Because of the sensitivity of what the FBI deals with, both the Director and I have to be circumspect in what we can make public. Bad guys read this stuff too. Neither one of us came here to play games,” Bongino wrote.
“Measure us by results. You will see them. But just because you don’t see something happening right this second, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. I’ll conclude by stating that not every result is going to please everyone. That’s just pandering, it’s not leadership. Complex problems require diligence and a reform-oriented process to create lasting changes,” he added.