A former high-ranking FBI official is speaking out about the moment he discovered information so disturbing it left him permanently shaken, revealing new details about what he uncovered during his time at the bureau.
Dan Bongino, who served as FBI Deputy Director, appeared on “The Vince Show” Monday to discuss a viral social media post from July 2025 that captured widespread attention.
In that post, Bongino stated he was “shocked” to his “core” and would “never be the same” after reading certain FBI documents.
The post accumulated more than 20 million views on X, sparking intense speculation about what Bongino had discovered.
During his appearance with host Vince Coglianese, who also serves as the Daily Caller’s editorial director, Bongino provided additional context about that pivotal evening.
According to Bongino, he was reviewing documents related to Crossfire Hurricane on a Friday night.
The review took place while he was living in a small Washington, D.C. apartment during his tenure at the FBI.
“It was basically about Crossfire. I was just reading some stuff about Crossfire,” Bongino explained during the interview.
He described being overwhelmed by what he encountered in the documents.
Drawing on his extensive law enforcement background, Bongino reflected on his career trajectory.
Before joining the FBI, he served as both a Secret Service agent and a police officer.
By the time of this document review, he had been in his FBI position for several months.
“I just thought, gosh, these guardrails just broke down because of people. People are guardrails, not robots,” Bongino stated.
He emphasized his shock at witnessing institutional safeguards fail.
The former deputy director expressed dismay at what he characterized as numerous failures in judgment.
“And I was just stunned at how many people just let this — just the incredibly poor decision-making,” he said.
Bongino described the impact of his discovery as profound and lasting.
“It blew my mind,” he told Coglianese.
He explained that the following morning, he felt compelled to share his reaction publicly, resulting in the viral post.
“I was really shaken by the whole thing, how these guardrails broke down so quickly. It was astonishing,” Bongino added.
He indicated that even discussing the matter months later brought back the intensity of that initial reaction.
“Even now talking about it, I just remember that feeling. Like, oh my gosh, did this really happen? Yeah, that’s what that was about,” he said.
WATCH:
Crossfire Hurricane was the FBI’s counterintelligence operation examining President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign over allegations involving Russian collusion.
The investigation has remained a subject of controversy and debate within political circles.
Bongino indicated he plans to address the revelations in greater detail on his upcoming program, though he qualified this by saying he would do so “within reason.”
The former FBI official announced Monday on X that he will launch a “new version of The Dan Bongino Show” scheduled to debut Feb. 2.
The program will stream exclusively on Rumble on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST.
According to the announcement, the show “will expand on its legacy with a renewed focus on Washington insights, behind-the-scenes details from his time in government, and a message of hope and resilience in the conservative movement.”
Bongino’s program will air immediately following “The Vince Coglianese Show,” which is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. EST on Rumble.
Bongino publicly announced his departure from the FBI via X on Dec. 17 and officially concluded his service at the bureau on Jan. 4.
