Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and police officer turned conservative political commentator and author, will take over the late Rush Limbaugh’s radio time slot, Cumulus Media’s Westwood One announced Wednesday.
“The Dan Bongino Show” will air on radio stations across the country Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. beginning on May 24, the company said in a press release.
The show “will tackle the hot political issues, debunking both liberal and Republican establishment rhetoric. As a former Secret Service agent and NYPD officer, Bongino is uniquely positioned to provide commentary and analysis that directly questions the philosophical underpinnings of both the Left and Big Government Republicans,” the release said.
Said Bongino: “I’m excited to embrace the immense power of radio to connect with my listeners live for three hours every day. This is an incredible privilege, and I pledge to honor the trailblazing work of those who came before me.”
Limbaugh, one of the most influential radio talk show hosts ever, died Feb. 17 at the age of 70 after a yearlong battle with stage 4 lung cancer.
Westwood One now offers a 24-hour, Monday–Friday news/talk lineup that also includes Ben Shapiro, Mark Levin, Chris Plante, and Jim Bohannon.
Said Westwood One: “Bongino has attracted an impressive and loyal following since he left the Secret Service in 2011 and became a media personality. Over the past 10 years, he has earned a spot on The New York Times‘ bestseller list several times and has joined FOX News as a commentator. Bongino’s podcast has risen to the top of the charts; in 2020, the podcast was downloaded more than 117 million times. In the weeks following the election in November, it ranked either #1 or #2 among ALL podcasts on Apple.”
“Dan is passionate and relatable, with a natural ability to connect with his audience,” said Suzanne Grimes, president of Westwood One. “Dan has been on a meteoric rise since his podcast launched in 2019, and we look forward to watching his star continue to soar.”
The media conglomerate also gave a brief biography of Bongino, saying he is “an American conservative radio show host, podcast host, frequent television political commentator, and New York Times-best-selling author whose books include ‘Life Inside the Bubble,’ about his career as a Secret Service agent, ‘The Fight: A Secret Service Agent’s Inside Account of Security Failings and the Political Machine,’ and ‘Spygate: The Attempted Sabotage of Donald J. Trump.'”
“Bongino was formerly a Secret Service agent from 2006 to 2011, serving in the Obama and Bush administrations. He served as a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer from 1995 to 1999. Bongino provides expertise on international security and political strategy for outlets such as FOX News and others. Bongino holds an MBA from Penn State University, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the City University of New York,” said Westwood.
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