President Donald Trump has publicly praised the leadership of the FBI under Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, stating that the agency is "back to the basics" by focusing on locking up criminals and cleaning up America's streets. Trump credited the current leadership for removing political interference and corrupt practices that previously hindered FBI agents from performing their duties effectively. He emphasized that the FBI now has the freedom to do its job and described its law enforcement professionals as the greatest in the world. In response to rumors about Dan Bongino's potential resignation amid fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, Trump confirmed that he spoke with Bongino recently, describing him as "a very good guy" who is "in good shape." Trump’s remarks came after dropping plans to release the Epstein files and coincided with reports that the U.S. is on track for its lowest murder rate ever.