WASHINGTON, D.C.: FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced on December 17 that he would be resigning from the bureau next month, ending a brief and tumultuous tenure.

In the few months he was at the bureau, Bongino was forced to reconcile the realities of his law enforcement job with the claims he made as a popular podcast host.

Bongino's exit would be among the highest-profile resignations of the Trump administration. There has been an upheaval within the FBI with the sacking of career officials, followed by criticism of Director Kash Patel's use of a government plane for personal purposes and social media posts about active investigations.

Bongino announced his departure in a post on X, saying he was grateful for the "opportunity to serve with purpose." He did not say precisely when in January he would leave. However, President Donald Trump said, "Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show."

In March this year, Trump appointed Bongino, a conservative podcaster who repeatedly railed against the FBI leadership and encouraged conspiracy theories related to the Epstein sex-trafficking case and pipe bombs discovered in Washington on January 6, 2021.

As the deputy director, he used social media to communicate directly with Trump supporters who were restless over the FBI's leadership's perceived lethargy in addressing their concerns. While he reassured them that the agency was focusing on the pipe bomb case and other incidents, he was unable to placate elements of Trump's base who expected quick results.

For example, in the Epstein case, he was forced to accept that the wealthy financier had taken his own life in a New York jail. As a podcaster, he had constantly challenged that theory.

Bongino had also speculated as a podcaster that the pipe bombs placed on the eve of the January 6 Capitol riot were an "inside job," and a "massive cover-up." He was asked about those comments when the FBI earlier this month arrested a 30-year-old Virginia man with no evident connection to the federal government, raising doubts about whether investigators had actually detained the right person.

"I was paid in the past, Sean, for my opinions, that's clear," Bongino said in a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity. "And one day, I'll 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."

Questions about Bongino's future had lingered for months, especially after an exchange at the White House last July with Attorney General Pam Bondi. It followed the announcement that neither the FBI nor the Justice Department would be releasing any more records from the Epstein investigation.

After that, Bongino went silent on his FBI account for several days. Far-right activist Laura Loomer posted on X at the time that Bongino was contemplating his future with the bureau.

In August, the Trump administration added former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey as co-deputy director. On December 17, Bongino posted on X that he was leaving.