Dan Bongino facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan Bongino
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Bongino in 2023
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Daniel John Bongino
December 4, 1974 Queens, New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Queens College (BS, MS) Pennsylvania State University (MBA) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Paula Martinez |
| Children | 2 |
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Daniel John Bongino (born December 4, 1974) is an American political commentator, radio host, and author. He is known for hosting The Dan Bongino Show on Rumble. He also hosted Unfiltered with Dan Bongino on Fox News until April 2023.
Before his media career, he worked as a police officer. He also served as a U.S. Secret Service agent. Bongino ran for Congress three times as a Republican, but he did not win.
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Early Life and Education
Dan Bongino was born and grew up in Queens, New York City. His family has Italian roots.
He went to Archbishop Molloy High School, an all-boys Catholic school. He graduated in 1992. Later, he attended Queens College. There, he earned degrees in psychology. He also earned a business degree from Pennsylvania State University.
Dan Bongino's Career Journey
Dan Bongino has had several interesting careers. He started in law enforcement. Then he moved into media and politics.
Working as a Police Officer
From 1995 to 1999, Bongino worked as a police officer. He served with the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
Secret Service Agent and Author
In 1999, Bongino joined the United States Secret Service. He worked as a special agent. In 2002, he became an instructor at the Secret Service Training Academy.
From 2006, he was part of the Presidential Protection Division. He protected President George W. Bush. He continued this duty when Barack Obama became president. He left the Secret Service in 2011. He wanted to run for the U.S. Senate.
In 2011, he was the lead investigator in a car rental fraud case. His work helped charge two people with federal crimes.
In 2013, Bongino wrote a book called Life Inside the Bubble. It was about his time as a Secret Service agent. The book shared his experiences protecting presidents. It also covered his work investigating crimes. He wrote about his first political campaign too.
Some former Secret Service colleagues criticized him. They felt he used his past job for political gain. Bongino said his book contained no secret information. He also said he did not believe claims that President Obama was born outside the U.S.
In 2016, he published another book, The Fight. It was about security issues and politics. In 2019, he released Exonerated. This book was about attempts to discredit President Donald Trump.
Media and Commentary Work
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Dan Bongino has been a radio host and commentator. He has hosted shows for Sean Hannity and Mark Levin. He also appeared on Fox News often.
In 2019, Bongino started a website called Bongino Report. It was meant to be an alternative news site.
In 2020, his posts on Facebook were very popular. The New York Times later listed him as a "misinformation superspreader" for election-related content.
After the Capitol riots in 2021, his Twitter account was temporarily shut down. This was for breaking Twitter's rules. Bongino defended the people who stormed the Capitol. He said it was a result of political tensions.
In March 2021, Cumulus Media hired Bongino. His show replaced The Rush Limbaugh Show on many radio stations. In May 2021, Fox News announced he would host Unfiltered With Dan Bongino. This show started in June.
In January 2022, YouTube banned Bongino's account. This happened because he tried to get around a temporary ban. He had posted a video questioning the effectiveness of masks. Bongino had already moved his podcast to Rumble.
In December 2022, Bongino planned to end his Cumulus radio show. However, in December 2023, he signed a new contract. On April 20, 2023, he left Fox News. This was due to contract disagreements.
Views on Vaccine Mandates
In October 2021, Bongino spoke out against company vaccine mandates. He said he was vaccinated himself. But he wanted his employer, Cumulus Media, to end their mandate. He even offered an ultimatum.
He later said he was negotiating with Cumulus. He also started a fund for employees who lost their jobs. A historian of talk radio thought his ultimatum was not serious. He believed Bongino had good reasons to stay with Cumulus. Bongino stated he got vaccinated because his doctor advised it due to his health condition.
Political Beliefs and Statements
Dan Bongino is a strong supporter of President Donald Trump. He once said his goal was "owning the libs." This means winning arguments against liberals.
He has called the investigation into Trump-Russia collusion a "total scam." He also supports the Spygate conspiracy theory. This theory claims illegal spying happened on Trump's 2016 campaign.
Bongino has also criticized efforts to reduce police funding. He called them an "abomination." After Joe Biden won the 2020 election, Bongino supported claims of election fraud. He said the election was rigged.
He has also been a strong critic of face mask mandates. He said masks were "largely ineffective."
Political Campaigns
Dan Bongino has run for public office three times. He ran for the U.S. Senate once. He also ran for the U.S. House of Representatives twice.
2012 U.S. Senate Race
In 2012, Bongino ran for a U.S. Senate seat in Maryland. He won the Republican primary election. However, he lost the main election by a large margin. He ran against the Democratic incumbent, Ben Cardin.
2014 House of Representatives Race
Bongino ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014. He sought to represent Maryland's 6th Congressional District. He lost this election narrowly to the incumbent Democrat, John Delaney. He won most counties in the district. But he lost by many votes in one large county.
2016 House of Representatives Race
After moving to Florida in 2015, Bongino decided to run again. In 2016, he sought the Republican nomination for Florida's 19th congressional district. He faced two other candidates in the primary election. He finished third and did not win the nomination.
Personal Life
Dan Bongino is married to Paula Andrea. She was born in Colombia. They have two daughters together.
For many years, they lived in Severna Park, Maryland. In 2015, they moved to Palm City, Florida.
In 2020, Bongino announced he bought a share in Parler. This is a social media platform.
Health Update: Cancer Diagnosis
On September 23, 2020, Bongino shared some personal news. Doctors found a seven-centimeter tumor in his throat. He had surgery on October 7.
After the surgery, he tweeted that the tumor was removed. He later confirmed he had Hodgkin lymphoma. This is a type of cancer. He continued to receive treatment. In July 2021, Bongino announced that he had "beaten" cancer.
Images for kids
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Dan Bongino's signature
