FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino pushed back Saturday against The New York Times for publishing what he called a “poorly thought-out hit piece” targeting reforms to the agency under the Trump administration.
The editorial, titled “Trump’s Politicized FBI Has Made Americans Less Safe,” accused President Trump of reshaping the bureau to serve his political agenda—alleging he stacked it with loyalists, interfered with investigations involving his allies, and used the agency to pressure political opponents.
“Mr. Trump’s playbook for the FBI is plain to see,” The New York Times’ Editorial Board wrote. “He is turning it into an enforcement agency for MAGA’s priorities. Among his many efforts to weaken American democracy and amass more power for himself, his politicization of the F.B.I. is one of the most blatant.”
The piece continued: “Mr. Trump’s politicization of the FBI has left it less able to combat terrorism, foreign espionage, biosecurity threats, organized crime, online scams, white-collar crime, drug trafficking and more.”
Bongino took to X to refute the outlet’s claims, citing statistics he says prove the FBI’s intensified focus on violent crime and illegal immigration “is working.”
“This NY Times article is precisely why hard-working Americans simply do not trust the media,” he began.
Bongino pointed to FBI initiatives like “Summer Heat,” aimed at getting violent offenders off the streets, as driving factors behind what is now a projected record-low U.S. murder rate. He said the agency has arrested approximately 14,000 violent criminals so far this year—a 62% increase compared to the same period last year—including more than 800 violent child predators and 140 human traffickers.
Additionally, Bongino noted that FBI agents have apprehended over 50 foreign intelligence operatives involved in espionage and smuggling dangerous substances into the United States.
“We locked up one of the most dangerous gang leaders in the county, and we dismantled gang operations in nearly every corner of the country, including the largest TDA gang takedown ever,” Bongino wrote. “We locked up 3 of the ‘Top-Ten’ most wanted FBI targets, and we’re closing in on another.”
Over the past few months, the FBI has seized 22% more illicit drugs compared to the same period last year, Bongino noted further. He said that includes over 97,000 pounds of cocaine, more than 7,000 pounds of methamphetamine, and upwards of 2,500 pounds of fentanyl.
The FBI, working with federal partners, also helped apprehend and deport over 18,000 illegal immigrants, many with criminal records, Bongino said. He added that in June, no illegal immigrants were released into the U.S. from the border, and nearly 800 individuals were arrested for attempting to obstruct law enforcement operations.
“I’d like to talk more about some of the incredible work being done by our counter-terror teams, but the information, as you would imagine, is classified,” he wrote in the post. “But I promise you, it’s happening.”
“[T]he conclusion of the piece is so ridiculous that a child could debunk it,” Bongino also wrote. “The authors comically assert that you are ‘less safe’ because [FBI Director] Kash [Patel] and I have aggressively reformed the FBI. Yet, they produce NO evidence whatsoever to backup that claim. And the reason they don’t produced any evidence, is because the numbers tell the opposite story.”
He added: “Notice how The NY Times omitted these data points to tell you “a story,” not the story. And, even though it’s an opinion piece, they should at least attempt to insert reality into it.”
In February, Trump announced Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and NYPD officer, would serve as the next deputy director of the FBI, calling it “great news for law enforcement and American justice.”
Patel, a vocal critic of the investigations targeting Trump, pledged during his confirmation hearing that he would not pursue political retribution against agents involved in the classified documents case or other politically sensitive investigations.