Former agent weighs in on Secret Service sex scandal

April 17, 2012

Writer

The Secret Service sex scandal just keeps getting worse and worse. The latest says that some of the prostitues involved were even under age and they may have even compromised the President's schedule! Dan Bongino is a former Secret Service agent who served under both the Bush and Obama administrations. What does he think about the allegations being levied at the world’s premiere protective force? Any chance this actually happened or is a set up more likely? Bongino offered his unique perspective on the scandal to Glenn on radio this morning.

Rush Transcript of Interview:

GLENN: Investigators probing the secret service process substitute scandal are looking into whether the girls involved now were underage. This story gets worse and worse and worse and one of the guys who I have great faith in is a -- is a decent, honorable man. Of course, I've never asked him if he's ever been with hookers -- is Dan Bongino. He is running for Congress in Maryland. He is a guy who -- what?

STU: Senate.

PAT: Senate.

GLENN: And he's -- he's -- was with the secret service, did advance work for the secret service under Bush and Obama. Right, Dan?

BONGINO: That's right, Glenn.

GLENN: Okay.

BONGINO: Thanks for having me.

GLENN: And I'm reading this story, Dan, and I've wanted to talk to you for the last few days. What is going on here?

BONGINO: What a mess, Glenn. I mean, personally for me, professionally, we have been out on this story from the start. You know, we don't only do the good stories, unlike most politicians who go and hide under a rock. We are -- this is a disgrace. I have a brother who was on the trip who has been providing information. Thank God he's not involved in any prostitution component of it, but has been actively involved in it and it is -- it's an embarrassment. It's a disgrace to the secret service and I really hope and, Glenn, you know a lot of secret service agents. We've known each other for awhile, that this does not forever tarnish --

GLENN: So you're saying that all of this stuff is true, that this is --

BONGINO: I don't know about all of it because I don't even know at this point who knows when something else if going to leak out or come out at this point, but, yeah, unfortunately a lot of what's come out is true and --

GLENN: Do you believe that there is any kind of foreign influence that these guys were set up at all?

BONGINO: I can't say. I don't know, but I really can't say for sure, but, you know, certainly, you know, there's always potential for things like that when you get involved of situations of tremendously poor judgment. That may be the understatement of the year.

GLENN: Tremendously poor judgment. Hang on just a second. 11 secret service agents? Is this the kind of behavior that you saw with your comrades?

BONGINO: You know, Glenn, I've always been straight with you and absolutely not. This is a -- on the presidential protection division where I was, I gave a quote to the New York Times that these guys lived like monks and I meant it. I meant every word it. I mean, these guys -- all they -- they used to go to the hotel and they would be (inaudible) to work out.

PAT: Did you ever -- did you ever go on a secret service trip to Columbia, Dan?

BONGINO: Couple of times. I've been to Bogota. I've been to Cartagena, yeah.

GLENN: Have you stayed at that hotel?

BONGINO: No, no. I stayed in the old city, there's a city in the new city and they were in the new city.

PAT: How many hookers were you involved with?

BONGINO: Oh, Glenn.

PAT: Could you even count?

GLENN: That's Pat. I'm not asking that. I want to know how many were underage, but that's a different -- that's a different story. So, hang on just a second. So, I you've never seen this behavior?

BONGINO: No.

GLENN: So, this is a wild aberration?

BONGINO: Yeah, it is.

GLENN: And did you -- did or did you not receive training and instructions that -- that you have to be on the straight and narrow when you're in a foreign country or even in our country because that puts you in a compromised position?

BONGINO: Sure. It's almost to the point -- with the training they give you, you've got to take a lot of the online courses and go to -- you know those courses, just click next, next, you have to read them and take tests with them, that I remember people saying, I can't remember we have to take this course again on expected behavior. The secret service stakes its reputation, I mean, obviously --

GLENN: The reputation --

BONGINO: -- the President of the United States.

GLENN: The reputation of the secret service under this President I contend is being so tarnished. The limo was stuck and bottomed out. I mean, I -- who didn't -- who didn't drive that route in advance? Do you remember that?

BONGINO: Yeah. Actually --

PAT: It was high centered? Yeah.

GLENN: It was high centered. Ridiculous. They're questioning a little kid up in Oregon in the Seattle area. All kinds of stuff that have happened with the --

PAT: With the unwanted guests at the parties.

GLENN: Yeah.

PAT: That got through security around the President.

GLENN: Dan, how did that happen? How did two guests get into the White House?

PAT: Is this a whole new secret service under Obama or what is going on? How could it have gone so far afield in just the last few years since you've been there, Dan?

BONGINO: As a matter of fact, with the change in administration, some of these agents are the same ones that were with President Bush. I was there for the transition. I didn't (inaudible) Bush administration in two years with President Obama. So, those are problems -- I don't work for the secret service anymore. I haven't been there for a year, but I have (inaudible) campaign to the former secret service agent and it was my responsibility to get out here and say, Yeah, what you're saying is true. They've had some real black eyes and it's unfortunate this black eye cements to be the blackest eye of all and at some point they're going to have to move forward.

GLENN: Is our President in danger, Dan?

BONGINO: No, no, not -- although --

GLENN: Well, if you have 11 -- if you have 11 secret service agents with such bad judgment that while he's in one of the most dangerous countries in the world, that they are -- they're having underage -- possible underage sex with hookers, how can we be -- how can we be assured at all?

BONGINO: I know. This is not a moment where America's proud of our secret service, but I want you to assure you that the guys, a lot of -- I mean, I missed countless birthdays. I mean, my daughter once told me when I came home -- I was on the road 300 days one year -- you know, dad, I hope you sleep good tonight (inaudible) because I was gone so often. I mean, these are guys that have really sacrificed, Glenn. They've sacrificed a lot and they would (inaudible.) And I really hope this doesn't permanently tarnish those guys. These guys fools. They made foolish decisions. Again, one of them (inaudible.) Terrible decisions, Glenn, and no one is apologizing for it, but I really hope that those guys who put in blood, sweat, and tears to keep our President alive and have been successful for decades, since the Reagan incident, I really hope this doesn't tarnish for them. It's embarrassing for them. It really embarrasses me. I don't even work for them anymore. It really stinks having to do these kind of interviews.

STU: It's certainly not something to beat up the secret service and just by the evidence that we've had over the years of talking to so many people from the secret service, this is hard to believe this is anything but an exception.

GLENN: A total aberration. To me it doesn't make any sense, but then I hear this report. This is out today and I'd love to get your comment on this. Your phone is breaking up a little bit. I don't know if you're moving into a bad section, but listen to this audio.

(Audio played.)

VOICE: They don't even insist on regular physical fitness testing or regular firearms requalification testing. Sometimes they will ask agents to fill out their own test scores on these things which is just dishonest. All this culture filters down and I think led to this really scandalous situation.

GLENN: Is that true? Is any of that stuff true?

BONGINO: No. I think he's talking about moments where, you know, if you were at a UN, during a really busy time, United Nations where no one's in their field office, where you go to a gym at the hotel and do a fitness test because there was just nowhere around. I mean, that's how you may have filled it out, but there's nothing unusual about it. That wasn't a big conspiracy. As for the firearms, if you don't -- you have to shoot every month on the presidential detail. If you miss a month, that was it. You were done. (Inaudible.) So, I never saw that.

GLENN: Okay. All right.

BONGINO: But, yeah (inaudible.)

GLENN: All right. That's good news. Help me out on one more thing and, that is, according to NBC news, the incident raised a possibility of potential security breach, telling NBC news that all secret service personnel had been given copies of the President's schedule which they were told to lock up safe in their hotel rooms. If they had hookers in their hotel rooms, didn't that pose a danger to the President of the United States?

BONGINO: You can lock up your paperwork on a secure floor (Inaudible.) The entire floor, every room. That's the code. That's what you do. If you didn't do that, of course -- and I can't say that happened on this trip. From my source, it did not. There was no paperwork. I can't attest to that personally, Glenn, me not being there, but, yeah, that's wrong if that was the case and forget about a hooker. Anyone who is a foreign national who is in your room with the President's itenary, that would be disastrous. I'm hearing that is not the case here, that all the paperwork was properly secured. You know, I hope, but, again, I wasn't there and I'm not privy to the investigation, but I'm speculating on that.

GLENN: Dan, I appreciate your honesty and, I mean, that's why I called you, because you are a -- you are a guy that I trust. I have seen you in action. I've seen your honor and integrity over the years and I respect you and I respect the guys -- you know how I feel about the secret service.

BONGINO: Yeah. We've had this conversation many times. He's not lying to you. On the air, off the air, he's telling the exact same thing.

GLENN: All right. Thanks a lot, Dan. God bless you.

STU: He's running for U.S. Senate in Maryland. Bongino.com is his website.

GLENN: And if I were living in Maryland and had a guy to vote for, Dan Bongino would be the guy. Did we put the thing up there about all the different people that we're -- that like Dan that I've met with personally? Is that up at glennbeck.com?

STU: I think it is, yeah.

GLENN: People that I've met with -- if you're looking -- and there's only about 10 of them up there. If you're looking for, you know, is this guy good, bad guy, I can just tell you I've met with -- I don't know -- 6 or 10 of these guys around the country and this is a list of people that I say I would feel comfortable with these guys. I think more than comfortable with these guys. And you can find that list at glennbeck.com and Dan is clearly one of them.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

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Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

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When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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