OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Conservative superstars Dan Bongino and Charlie Kirk’s podcasts topped the charts in November.
Triton Digital released its November podcast rankings and news shows hosted by Bongino and Kirk saw big finishes during the month.
“Up First” and “NPR News Now” continued to be the month’s top two programs. “The Dan Bongino Show” ended the month in third place, while the other five shows remained unaltered.
“The Charlie Kirk Show,” which moved up two spots from the previous month to finish sixth, was the greatest mover within the top 10.
“Fresh Air (9th)” and “The NPR Politics Podcast” (11th) both witnessed one-place increases, showcasing NPR’s strong month by placing another program in the month’s top ten shows. “Hold on, don’t tell me!” (15th), “Planet Money’s Indicator” (19th), and “NPR’s Consider This” (20th) all had strong finishes.
“The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” has maintained its ascent through the Triton Digital rankings in the news/talk industry. The show moved up two spots to 14th place in November. In the rankings, “Armstrong & Getty On Demand” came in at number 27.
There were also two popular shows on the Cumulus Podcast Network. “The Mark Levin Podcast” came in at number 23, and “The Shawn Ryan Show” came in at number 13.
There are rumors that Bongino, a former Fox News host, could be President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for head of the US Secret Service (USSS).
Bongino used to work for the USSS and is a harsh critic of the service now that two failed efforts to kill Trump have happened. The possible pick has mostly only been talked about on social media, but Forbes also reported that Trump is attempting to decide between Bongino and Sean Curran.
Bongino has previously written, “Let me be perfectly clear: the [first] assassination attempt on President Trump was a catastrophic failure on behalf of the United States Secret Service.”
Former USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned after being grilled by Congress and being told by both parties that she had to leave her post or be fired after the first attempt on Trump’s life and the agency’s gross lack of competence came to light.
“Trump has chosen people for a handful of Senate-confirmed Cabinet-level jobs, and he’s picked a White House chief of staff, a communications director, and a national security adviser among the key roles that don’t require confirmation,” Forbes added in its lengthy report.
“Trump decamped to Mar-a-Lago after his win, holding meetings with his inner circle, administration hopefuls and transition team to craft his second term agenda and build out his staff. Trump is shaping his second-term agenda with the help of several right-wing groups, his closest allies and billionaire backers. Musk, who has been spotted on numerous occasions at Mar-A-Lago since his election, is among those who appear to be influencing Trump’s policy and personnel decisions. Lutnick is also overseeing a team making recommendations for personnel picks and vetting potential candidates, and Miller is expected to play a key role in making the final decisions,” the outlet added.
“The right-wing think tank America First Policy Institute is reportedly the primary driver of Trump’s transition plans and has been crafting possible executive actions for Trump once he takes office. The organization is chaired by former Trump Small Business Administration leader Linda McMahon and led by former Trump Domestic Policy Counsel Director Brook Rollins,” the outlet continued in its prior report.
Just days before the November 5th election, Bongino went viral when he revealed that Kellyanne Conway and other Republicans were secretly working against Trump and his campaign.
Bongino said the plot was against Trump’s choice of JD Vance as his running mate.
Media reports that Trump is regretting picking Vance were called “absolute bullsh*t” on the “Dan Bongino Show.” Bongino said leaks from Trump’s side may have driven these reports. According to sources, Bongino pointed to a report in the Daily Mail that said Trump is “melting down” over Vance.
“There’s a lot of internal sabotage going on right now that I honestly did not want to highlight because I like to stay focused on the Democrats and I was hoping it would go away. It’s not,” Bongino said.
The right-leaning pundit asserted that he has spoken with numerous individuals who think that Vance’s stance on Ukraine is causing dissatisfaction among certain Republicans.
“I suspect strongly this was a leak from people who wanted another candidate for vice president,” Bongino said, pointing his finger at the “Kellyanne Conway camp.”
Conway previously served in Trump’s administration.
“Some of the other candidates were very interested in a more muscular posture in Ukraine where there was a lot of money to be made for a lot of people. JD Vance is interested in a more cautious approach to Ukraine,” Bongino argued.
Bongino called Trump and Vance a “great ticket,” but blasted those he believes are “sabotaging” it.
“Instead of just shutting up and trying to win now with this great ticket, there are people out there sabotaging the ticket right now,” he said.
In a direct address to Conway and others, Bongino simply said, “You’ve been warned. I’m going to say to Kellyanne and others: It’s time to pipe down. You’ve been warned. I’ve had about enough.”
