On Monday, Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel welcomed Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey as a co-deputy director of the FBI, a surprise decision that signals an uncertain future for Bongino, who will now share that role.

Bailey will now serve alongside Bongino in the number-two role, Patel and Bondi confirmed to Fox News Digital, which first broke the story. Bongino, who was appointed as the FBI’s sole deputy director earlier this year, shocked colleagues in July when he largely isolated himself from internal operations following the Epstein files dispute.