Dan Bongino, one of the most right-leaning hosts in the Fox News stable, is leaving the network after the Fox Corp.-backed outlet and he could not come to terms on a new contract.
“Folks, regretfully, last week was my last show on Fox News on the Fox News Channel,” Bongino said on his podcast Thursday. “It’s tough. It’s tough to say that. You know, I’ve been there doing hits and working there for ten years…so the show ending was tough. And I want you to know it’s not some big conspiracy. I promise you. There’s no acrimony. This wasn’t some WWE brawl that happened. We just couldn’t come to terms on an extension.
Bongino, who joined Fox News as a contributor in 2019, began hosting the Saturday-night program “Unfiltered With Dan Bongino” on Fox News in 2021.
His departure, previously reported by Forbes, comes just days after Fox Corp. agreed to pay $787.5 million in a settlement to Dominion Voting Systems after being accused of defaming the ballot-technology company by passing along specious conspiracy theories about its role in the 2020 presidential election. Bongino was not a prominent part of the trial or slated to testify, but has been known to amplify dubious controversies, such as taking on policies that mandate getting a coronavirus vaccine, or telling social-media followers that Democrats were trying to orchestrate a coup during the 2020 presidential election.
“We thank Dan for his contributions and wish him success in his future endeavors,” Fox News said in a statement. The networks intends to air “Lawrence Jones Cross Country” in place of Bongino’s program Saturday night, while filling 10 p.m. with an encore of the weekday 11 p.m. program “Gutfeld!” Fox News plans to unveil a new schedule in coming weeks.
Bongino described the exit as amicable. “I really enjoyed myself there and you know they were good to me for ten years. I mean they allowed me to do a show called ‘Unfiltered,’ did what we wanted to do over there and covered the topics we wanted to cover. And it’s a sad day. It’s a sad day,” he said. “They did give me the opportunity to do one last show. I don’t want you to think they like, showed me the door, that’s on me, not on them. But I just thought it was best to kind of go this way for now. Like I said, it’s not acrimonious. I have a great team over there.”
Bongino is one of the most popular pundits in conservative-media circles. He has bona fides from his work as a New York City police officer and a long run as an agent for the U.S. Secret Service.
He has also hosted popular radio programs, and his show was used to replace the long-running show hosted by Rush Limbaugh. Bongino’s one-hour radio show for Westwood One also ran on the Fox Nation streaming service, but will no longer appear.
