Dan Bongino walks back his old conspiracy theory that J6 pipe bomb was an "inside job" as FBI's deputy director after arresting suspect

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino recently appeared on FOX News and was asked about his old conspiracy theory about the J6 pipe bomber. At the time, Bongino claimed that it was a "connected anti-Trump insider" or an "inside job." Bongino then responded, saying,

"I was paid in the past for my opinions. One day I will be back in that space but that's not what I'm paid for now. I’m paid to be your deputy director and we base investigations on facts."

Many netizens reacted to Bongino's statements made during the conversation. A lot of them pointed out and wondered if Dan Bongino had lied and spread misinformation just for money. Others claimed that the investigation should be more candid and transparent for the public. One user took to X and shared their reaction on the platform. The user tweeted,

"I was paid to lie before, and I will be paid to lie again in the future, but right now I'm being paid to tell the truth."

"Oh did he just admit that, in the past, he would plainly lie to his audience just because it made him money?" wondered another netizen.

The portion of the conversation was posted on X by @Acyn and garnered massive traction. The clip has currently been viewed by more than a million and liked by over 2.3K X users.

Dan Bongino previously claimed that the FBI was aware of the pipe bomber but did not want to reveal it

In January 2025, Dan Bongino opened up about his beliefs surrounding the J6 pipe bomber. According to Bongino, the FBI was aware of the suspect but didn't want to reveal that to the public since it was an "inside job." Bongino said,

"I believe the FBI knows the identity of this pipe bomber on January 6th, four years ago, and just doesn't wanna tell us 'cause it was an inside job... Folks, this guy was an insider. This was an inside job. And it is the biggest scandal in FBI history."

Dan Bongino, who has been an NYPD cop, has targeted the federal agency several times and has even called it "corrupt." He was known for spreading several conspiracy theories suggesting that federal workers were conspiring against Donald Trump to undermine his agenda. Among his allegations against the FBI, Bongino claimed that the agency had doctored surveillance footage of the pipe bomb suspect.

To corroborate his claims about the bombing suspect, Bongino further added,

"The person who planted that bomb was definitely an insider. It was not an anti-Trump person. It was someone planting a bomb to create a narrative that crazy MAGA people are trying to assassinate Kamala Harris."

The latest comments by Dan Bongino surfaced around the time that the case witnessed a major breakthrough on Thursday. Authorities made an arrest in the case after a period of more than four years. 30-year-old Brian Cole Jr. has been detained and charged with transporting an explosive device and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that it is an ongoing investigation.