Lisa Desjardins highlights the significant presence of Dan Bongino in the MAGA world, emphasizing his massive reach with millions of followers. However, Bongino is known for repeatedly pushing misinformation on critical issues. One of the most controversial topics he discusses on his podcast is the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen, specifically alleging that it was stolen by the FBI. He has consistently criticized the FBI, labeling it as a political agency, and at one point, called for its disbandment.
Besides election misinformation, Bongino has also been involved in spreading false information about COVID-19. Due to this, YouTube removed him from their platform at one point. Despite his background as a former Secret Service agent and a New York police officer, he lacks any direct experience with the FBI, which raises concerns given his current responsibilities.
Appointed by Donald Trump and previously working at FOX News, Bongino now oversees the operations of 38,000 FBI agents. Critics, including former FBI agents like Frank Montoya, express concerns over Bongino's lack of experience and his history of promoting conspiracy theories, which they argue disqualifies him from effectively leading such a critical agency.
Elon Musk recently stirred confusion among federal workers by sending an email directive on Saturday. The email requested all federal employees to send back five bullet points detailing their activities from the past week, with a deadline of midnight East Coast time. Due to concerns over potential coding in emails that could expose sources, the email content is not directly shown.
Musk warned on social media that non-compliance could result in termination. However, the Office of Personnel Management later clarified that responding to Musk's request is voluntary, and employees will not be fired for failing to comply. This directive caused chaos, with agencies like Homeland Security and the FBI advising their employees against responding, while others enforced compliance.
In a tumultuous development, 27,000 federal workers have been notified of termination. At USAID, there was a significant reduction in force, leading to 2,000 career workers being informed that their jobs will end in April. Recent rulings by the Office of Special Counsel found the terminations of some probationary workers to be illegal, restoring six workers to their positions. However, thousands more await similar rulings.
In another legal development, a federal judge ruled that DOGE cannot access Treasury and Education systems personal data for student loans and federal employees, citing a lack of proven necessity for access. This ruling marks a significant legal case impacting data access policies.
