Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino found himself in a heated online exchange this week with Buckley Carlson, brother of internet show host Tucker Carlson, after tensions flared over Bongino’s criticism of Candace Owens.
The dispute began when Buckley Carlson shared a social media post from Stew Peters, an avowed white supremacist and anti-Semite, who attacked Bongino for his recent remarks about Owens. Bongino had sharply criticized Owens over her latest attacks on Erika Kirk, describing Owens as “evil” and a “cancer” that must be excised from the right.
In the post shared by Carlson, Peters accused Bongino of trying to get Owens killed and suggested that Bongino was “still on the payroll,” claiming he had been reassigned back into the “podcast” world to “activate a killer.” Carlson added his own blistering commentary, calling Bongino a “simian monster” and a “douchey meat-stick with the fastest departing audience in media history.” He also claimed Bongino had no credibility and mocked him over his political aspirations, telling him to “retire for real this time.”
Bongino did not hold back in his response. He fired back at Carlson, questioning his sobriety and mocking him for being known primarily by his last name. “How does it feel to be born with a silver spoon and then choke on it?” Bongino wrote, before pointing to audience numbers in defense of his platform.
Carlson escalated the feud, urging Bongino to “run for elective office for the fourth time” to test the depth of his support. He also took aim at Bongino’s “Law & Order” message and accused him of abdicating authority “when it mattered.” Carlson’s post included further insults, questioning Bongino’s credibility and resolve.
Bongino responded again, accusing Carlson of changing his argument after being confronted with audience data. He dismissed Carlson as a “trust-fund-baby horror story” and suggested he lacked the life experience to understand the challenges Bongino claimed to have faced.
Carlson fired back once more, accusing Bongino of failing to do his job when he had one and alleging “dereliction of duty.” He also criticized Bongino for speaking out publicly rather than stepping away quietly.
The back-and-forth quickly became a personal and profanity-laced exchange, drawing attention across social media. Buckley Carlson has previously made headlines for controversial political commentary, including comparing the United States to North Korea and arguing that the U.S. government lies to the public on a similar scale.
Bongino, who recently retired from his role at the FBI and returned to podcasting, has made clear that he intends to confront what he describes as the rise of so-called “black pillers” within conservative circles. He has specifically called out figures such as Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes, whom he says are known for hateful rhetoric and conspiracy theories.
What began as a dispute over Owens quickly spiraled into a broader clash between prominent voices on the right, highlighting ongoing fractures within conservative media and activist circles. With both sides showing little interest in backing down, the public feud underscores the growing tensions over the direction and tone of political discourse on the right.
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