Before Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016, Dan Bongino was just another C-list conservative personality with three failed congressional campaigns under his belt. At the time, his most notable public moments included appearing on Infowars; publishing a highly criticized memoir about his tenure as a Secret Service agent; and lashing out at a Politico reporter via an expletive-filled tirade that took place during his losing bid for a House seat in 2016. But his loss that year may have been the best thing for his career. Bongino pivoted to become one of Trump’s most ardent defenders in the media, which led Trump to significantly boost his brand.
That, in turn, has created a perfect opportunity for Bongino to work his way up in the conservative-media ecosystem, particularly in light of the power vacuum caused by Rush Limbaugh’s death and Trump’s forced departure from the White House and Twitter. And on Monday afternoon, he took a stab at snatching up some of Limbaugh’s loyal adherents, tapping the former president for the first airing of his radio show in what used to be Limbaugh’s 1 p.m. ET time slot. “You’re gonna have a big hit, you’re gonna have big success,” the former president told Bongino.
The two went on to discuss “this UFO thing”––a reference to the now public footage of “unidentified aerial phenomena” spotted by the U.S. Navy––with Bongino asking, “Is there something the government’s not telling us?” Trump replied by explaining that he’s “not such a believer” in UFOs but added that he “doesn’t want to hurt the dreams or the fears” of Americans who do believe in them. Bongino concluded the interview by asking Trump about his plans to run for president again in 2024. “We need you, man, we need you big time,” he said. Trump responded, “Well, I’ll tell you what, we’re going to make you very happy, we’re going to do what’s right…. We’ll let you know at the right time, but certainly––I’m looking at [running in 2024] very seriously.”
Fox News elevated Bongino’s radio program this month, noting that a video feed of the show would air on the subscription streaming service Fox Nation. The network also tapped Bongino to host one of its new weekend programs. Bongino also wields an influential conservative-media platform, with articles shared to his Facebook page often charting as the most popular posts on the site.
Another venture within Bongino’s growing media empire includes his news-aggregation site the Bongino Report, a competitor to the Drudge Report that he launched in December 2019. Bongino framed the site as a reaction to Drudge’s turn against Trump, saying at the time: “Drudge has abandoned you. I NEVER will. Check out, and bookmark, the Bongino Report today.” He is also reportedly an investor in Parler, a Twitter clone that serves as a self-described “free speech” platform and a cesspool for far-right content.
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