NBC News momentarily handed Elon Musk the presidency — albeit unintentionally — by claiming that he, not President Donald Trump, named Dan Bongino as the FBI’s deputy director.
In a pre-recorded package that aired Tuesday, journalist Ryan Nobles reported on Bongino’s appointment and made a mistake that somehow survived both filming and editing before hitting air.
“The cuts coming as Musk is making a controversial move at the FBI, appointing Dan Bongino, a former police officer and Secret Service officer with no experience at the FBI, as the deputy director of the agency, normally reserved for a career agent,” the reporter said in the clip.
Of course, it was Trump who appointed Bongino. The president made the announcement on Sunday via Truth Social, naming the former Fox News host and conservative podcaster as the person who would serve under newly-appointed FBI director Kash Patel. Bongino, as Nobles noted, served in the New York Police Department (NYPD) and as a U.S. Secret Service agent.
“Bongino has used his conservative media platform to peddle conspiracy theories, falsely cast doubt on the 2020 election results, and attacked the FBI, saying it needs to be disbanded,” the report continued, adding: “Bongino’s appointment as deputy director was a shock to the rank and file agents at the FBI.”
Not as much of an all-round shock, perhaps, as viewers had when they learned of Elon Musk’s sudden ascension to the Oval Office. By the time the clip aired on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, however, the gaffe had been fixed.
Watch above via NBC News.
