That’s not to diminish the seriousness so much as it is to note that it’s a feature, not a bug. Bongino had spent years as a podcaster and conservative influencer before Trump nominated him to the FBI this year. He reportedly mulled leaving the bureau in July, over the Epstein files (sure); eventually, Trump appointed Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to help him co-run the FBI. Since then, he’s been oddly diminished, even as the Trump administration has tried to muscle the FBI into an era of overt politicization not seen in decades. Democrats are also pushing for measures to be put into place so that the Trump White House stops impounding congressionally approved funds.