Commentator Graham Allen pushed back against criticism of Dan Bongino’s tenure at the FBI, arguing that public expectations for immediate results have obscured what he described as substantial internal reforms and groundwork that will continue to produce changes going forward.
Allen said he has consistently defended Bongino, citing personal experience with similar government work and emphasizing trust in Bongino’s integrity and intentions.
“I’ve said from the very beginning, everything with Dan Bongino, look, I know what Dan gave up, because I know what we had to give up to go do a very similar thing at the Pentagon,” Allen said.
“I’ve said from the very beginning, I trust Dan.”
Allen addressed questions surrounding cooperation within the agency and whether Bongino received full transparency from FBI personnel.
He said Bongino did receive what he requested in full, while noting that this level of cooperation is not always the norm in government institutions.
“Do. I necessarily trust every agent that gave Dan everything that he asked for, and it was given to him in its entirety. How it was originally, no,” Allen said.
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He compared the situation to other high-level government roles, describing a pattern of partial compliance and incomplete disclosures.
“Just like I saw with Secretary Hegseth, he would ask for things, and it would come in halves or not the whole thing, or things would be left out,” Allen said.
Allen argued that unrealistic public expectations have fueled disappointment, particularly the belief that sweeping accountability actions would occur instantly.
“We have let the American people believe that everything is just to Tim’s point, instant like that,” he said.
“And I do believe that people thought that Dan Bongino was going to walk in the FBI building, he was going to grab people like Comey by the throat and throw him in jail for the rest of their lives with no due process, no trials, no nothing.”
According to Allen, that perception ignores the nature of institutional reform and the tangible work Bongino did accomplish behind the scenes.
“And if you actually look at what Dan did get accomplished, it actually is very impressive,” Allen said.
Allen stated that the most significant work involved internal restructuring of the FBI, changes that he said are not visible to the general public but are critical for long-term reform.
“And I believe that even more things are going to happen now that he’s out from things that he initiated. Got started, policies in place,” Allen said.
He described seeing the reorganization firsthand and said it involved sweeping changes to the bureau’s internal structure.
“They reorganized the entire structure of the FBI. I was in his office when he showed it to me, the entire structure on how the FBI was organized,” Allen said.
Allen credited Bongino and Kash Patel with driving those changes, which he said included firings, removals, and reassignment of personnel.
“Dan Bongino and Kash Patel eradicated, fired got rid of, reorganized everything,” Allen said.
He concluded by arguing that while the public may not immediately recognize the importance of those actions, they are foundational for future progress.
“But normal people don’t see that stuff, and they don’t realize how important that is as they move forward,” Allen said.
WATCH:
“If you look at what Dan did get accomplished it actually is very impressive.”@GrahamAllen argues that Dan Bongino’s FBI accomplishments are ignored because the public only wants instant change. pic.twitter.com/leT5GOcN0w
— Timcast News (@TimcastNews) January 7, 2026
