Andrew Bailey, the FBI’s Co-Deputy Director, announced his resignation on Monday after serving for just a year.
Before joining the FBI, Bailey was the Republican attorney general of Missouri from January 2023 to September 2025. In a post on X, he mentioned he was stepping down to focus on his family. He expressed gratitude to President Trump, Attorney General Todd Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel for the opportunity. Bailey, a father of four, stated, “Under President Trump’s leadership, we delivered historic results in our mission to Make America Safe Again. With great pride in what we have accomplished, I am announcing that I am stepping down to return to my family in Missouri.”
He also shared confidence in Patel’s ability to continue implementing reforms, fighting violent crime, and restoring public trust in the FBI.
The FBI did not respond immediately to requests for comments on this situation.
In response, Patel expressed appreciation for Bailey’s service in a post on X as well. He acknowledged Bailey’s contributions to essential reforms that led to significant successes, even while noting their differences. Patel emphasized that although Bailey was leaving for family reasons, his impact would remain evident.
Bailey’s resignation is set to take effect on October 2, according to sources familiar with the matter. Reports indicate that Bailey and Patel didn’t always see eye to eye, occasionally going long stretches without communicating.
Notably, conservative podcast host Dan Bongino held a deputy director role at the FBI from March 2025 until he left in January, a timeline that partially overlapped with Bailey’s time at the Bureau. Following Bongino, FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher Raia took over the position.
