President Donald Trump's ally and former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino encountered significant technical issues during his first live broadcast since leaving the bureau, which disrupted the initial stream on Rumble. The incident happened on Monday, with the stream crashing shortly after it began, but Bongino promptly resumed with a secondary stream to address his audience.
"They just don’t want me to talk. They’re so terrified of this show coming back that they were going to do anything to try to stop us." - Dan Bongino
Bongino, known for his conservative commentary, did not hesitate to attribute the technical failure to what he perceived as a targeted effort to silence him. "Alright, folks. Sorry about that, but a lot of people interested in keeping me off the air as you can probably imagine," he said during the reboot of his broadcast. He prompted his listeners to confirm their ability to hear the new stream, indicating his readiness to proceed despite the setback.
The interruption on Rumble, the chosen platform for "The Dan Bongino Show," was quickly framed by the host as an attack on his ability to reach his audience. Bongino openly accused undisclosed adversaries of attempting to disrupt his program. He expressed a belief that his opposition feared the impact of his message and consequently sought to prevent the show's successful return.
Bongino's departure from the FBI was made public through a social media post on December 17, with his official last day being January 4. This marked the conclusion of his tenure with federal law enforcement. His new show, which debuted after his departure, focuses on political analysis and promises insights from Bongino’s experience in government service, aiming to inspire hope and resilience among conservative audiences.
Prior to the launch of his program, Bongino made a notable appearance on "The Vince Show" on January 12, where he discussed his reactions to classified documents he had access to during his time at the FBI. These documents pertained to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation into President Trump's 2016 campaign and possible Russian collusion. Bongino shared his shock and dismay at the institutional failures he believed the documents revealed, emphasizing the breakdown of what he called "guardrails" due to human error.
Bongino's emotional response to the documents has been a persistent theme, as he has communicated his astonishment at how quickly he felt these safeguards had been compromised. He has signaled his intention to discuss these revelations further on his show, within appropriate limits.
The streaming issues Bongino faced during his show's premiere and his subsequent allegations of intentional interference have raised discussions about the challenges conservative voices may encounter in digital platforms. The precise cause of the technical failure remains unconfirmed, and Rumble has not issued a public statement regarding the incident.
