Bongino Responds To Obama Comments With Sharp Warning On Podcast
Bongino Responds To Obama Comments With Sharp Warning On Podcast
Former FBI Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino responded sharply to remarks by former President Barack Obama, issuing what some interpreted as a warning during a recent episode of his podcast.
“I know things too, Mr. President, and so do you,” Bongino said, reacting to Obama’s comments about the role of government and the justice system.
Obama made his remarks during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he warned against the politicization of law enforcement and prosecutorial decisions. He said the government should not be used to target political opponents.
“We can’t … have a situation in which whoever is in charge of the government starts using that to go after their political enemies,” Obama said. He also emphasized that the White House should not direct the attorney general on specific prosecutions.
Bongino criticized those comments on his podcast, linking them to his own claims about investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He said he would not allow Obama’s remarks to go unanswered.
“And I’m not letting you get away with this, no chance!” Bongino said.
Bongino has previously discussed what he describes as “Russiagate” materials and has claimed that documents discovered during his time at the FBI could shed light on what he calls the “weaponization” of government institutions.
His comments come after he recently said he feared for his safety if Democrats regain control of Congress, adding to the intensity of his public statements.
Bongino served in the Secret Service’s Presidential Protective Division during Obama’s presidency and later became a vocal critic of the administration after entering politics and media.
During his time in protective service, Bongino had spoken positively about Obama and his family. However, his relationship with the former president’s legacy shifted significantly in the years that followed.
After leaving government service, Bongino became a prominent media figure and frequent critic of Democratic leadership, often raising concerns about government overreach.
His tenure as FBI Co-Deputy Director from March 2025 to January 2026 drew mixed reactions. Supporters credited him with advancing certain investigations, while critics described his leadership as contentious and marked by internal conflicts.
Reports at the time described disagreements between Bongino and other senior officials, including disputes over investigative priorities and management style.
Bongino resigned from the role in early 2026, citing a desire to return to his family and focus on his media career. He later told Fox host Sean Hannity that he informed Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel before taking his deputy director post he only wanted to stay on for about a year.
President Donald Trump praised Bongino following his departure, suggesting he would have a greater impact through his podcast and public platform than within the FBI.
The exchange highlights ongoing political tensions surrounding investigations into the 2016 election and broader debates over the role of government authority in law enforcement.
Nearly 150,000 California Mail Ballots Rejected In Primary
California election officials are examining why nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the state’s June primary, with late-arriving ballots accounting for most of the increase.
The higher rejection rate comes despite years of election law changes designed to make voting more accessible and ensure more ballots are ultimately counted.
According to data compiled by the California Secretary of State’s office, 148,241 mail-in ballots were rejected during the June primary, representing 1.73% of all mail ballots returned.
That marks an increase from the 2024 primary, when 108,982 ballots were rejected, or 1.56% of all mail ballots cast.
The largest reason for rejection was ballots arriving too late to qualify under California law.
State data shows that 93,479 ballots were rejected because they failed to meet the state’s deadline requirements.
California allows mail ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day, provided they are postmarked on or before Election Day.
Voting experts believe many of the rejected ballots received postmarks dated after Election Day, making them ineligible to be counted even if they arrived within the seven-day grace period.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the timing of postal processing appears to be a significant concern.
“Ballots rejected due to lateness are caused primarily to being postmarked too late to count, not because they arrived too late to count,” Alexander said.
Election experts have questioned whether recent operational changes within the U.S. Postal Service may be contributing to delayed postmarks.
Earlier this year, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators wrote to the Postal Service expressing concern that mail-processing changes could affect ballot handling during federal elections.
Updated Postal Service procedures mean postmarks may reflect when mail is processed at regional facilities rather than when it first enters the mail system.
Because processing centers have been consolidated in some areas, election officials have warned that postmark timing could be affected.
Before the June primary, California election officials encouraged voters to mail ballots as early as possible because of potential postal delays.
The June election also featured a highly competitive race for governor, which some experts believe encouraged many voters to wait until the final days before casting ballots.
In addition to late-arriving ballots, approximately 44,000 ballots were rejected because election officials determined the voter’s signature did not match the signature on file.
Another 8,300 ballots were rejected because the return envelope did not contain a signature.
State records also show that 743 ballots were rejected because those voters had already cast another ballot.
Other rejected ballots involved missing ballots inside return envelopes or multiple ballots submitted in a single envelope.
The highest rejection rate in the state occurred in Tulare County, where 3.52% of returned mail ballots were rejected.
Alpine County and Merced County followed closely, each recording rejection rates of 3.36%.
California has frequently faced criticism for taking weeks to complete vote counting after major elections, largely because state law permits ballots meeting certain requirements to continue arriving after Election Day.
Following the June primary, President Donald Trump again criticized California’s election system, while the Department of Justice opened an investigation into election administration in Los Angeles County.
Election experts emphasize that the increase in rejected ballots should not be interpreted as evidence of widespread voter fraud.
A 2025 report by the Brookings Institution found documented cases of mail ballot fraud remained extremely rare, estimating roughly four cases for every 10 million mail ballots cast, The Associated Press reported.
State officials have not identified evidence of widespread fraud connected to the June primary, but the increase in rejected ballots is expected to receive additional scrutiny as election administrators evaluate whether changes in postal operations, voter behavior or election procedures contributed to the higher rejection rate.
