FBI Promotes Key FBI Official In J6 Investigations, Sparks Online Backlash

The FBI agent who spearheaded domestic terrorism operations during Jan. 6, 2021 was promoted to a senior role in the bureau’s Washington Field Office, generating backlash among some conservatives.

The New York Times (NYT) first reported on Friday that Steven (Steve) J. Jensen was tapped as the new assistant director in charge (ADIC) to lead the bureau’s Washington Field Office. The field office’s website lists Steven Jensen as its ADIC as of publication.

Jensen was previously the section chief of the Domestic Terrorism Operations Section from April 2020 to October 2021, according to his LinkedIn.

“The Counterterrorism Division, through its Domestic Terrorism Operations Section, provides guidance and coordination among the FBI’s 56 field offices on matters of domestic terrorism …” Jill Sanborn, the then-Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, said in 2022 joint statement regarding “domestic terrorism” and Jan. 6.

Jensen was also in charge of creating a system to “monitor” school board meetings for potential acts of “domestic terrorism,” according to the NYT.

The FBI’s counterterrorism division created a “threat tag” to target parents protesting school board meetings in October 2021, according to a letter from House Judiciary Committee Republicans. (RELATED: Trump Pardons An Estimated 1,500 Jan. 6 Protesters)

Jensen’s appointment was confirmed Sunday by Steve Baker, a journalist with The Blaze. Baker reported that FBI sources confirmed his appointment, and he copied over what he said was an email about the position on X.

🚨BREAKING🧵- As to the alleged hiring of rabid anti-J6er Steve Jensen as @FBI’s @FBIWFO Assistant Director in Charge (ADIC), @theblaze can now confirm that @nytimes reporting by @alanfeuer is correct, and @GatewayPundit’s claim that it is “fake news” is incorrect.⬇️

— Steve Baker (@SteveBakerUSA) April 6, 2025

The text said Steve Jensen will serve as the next ADIC.

“We learned today that acting Operations Director for the National Security Branch Steve Jensen will serve as [Washington Field Office’s] next ADIC and will begin on Monday,” the March 28 email said, according to Baker.

The reporter also included the text of an email from “incoming ADIC” Jensen.

Message to WFO from the Incoming ADIC

Bates, Phillip E. (WF) (FBI)
To WF-ALL-EMPLOYEES, + 1

Mar 28

Team,

We learned today that acting Operations Director for the National Security Branch Steve Jensen will serve as WFO’s next ADIC and will begin on Monday. I just got off the…

— Steve Baker (@SteveBakerUSA) April 6, 2025

“I am excited to share that I was approached by the Director and Deputy Director to serve as the next ADIC of WFO,” Jensen wrote, according to Baker

“While this came rather unexpectedly as I recently was asked to serve as the acting Operations Director for the National Security Branch, I firmly believe in the philosophy of servant leadership and service over self.” (RELATED: ‘Woefully Inept’: Here’s Why Some Government Officials Use Signal)

The FBI declined to comment to the Daily Caller.

FBI Director Kash Patel, however, retweeted a post from his official account that appeared to confirm Jensen’s appointment.

“[Kash Patel] is doing all the right things to include putting the right people in the right places,” Townhall columnist John Nantz tweeted. “Such as Steven Jensen to head the Washington Field Office. A solid guy who has the full support of Director Patel and [Deputy Director Dan Bongino].”

My segment this morning on @NEWSMAX’s Sunday Report with @Glasgow_Jon. @FBIDirectorKash is doing all the right things to include putting the right people in the right places. Such as Steven Jensen to head the Washington Field Office. A solid guy who has the full support of… pic.twitter.com/6EOHn4OvDF

— John Nantz (@TheJohnNantz) April 6, 2025

Screenshot of FBI Director Kash Patel’s retweet. Daily Caller

Retired FBI National Security Intelligence Supervisor George Hill testified in 2023 about weaponization to the House Judiciary Committee.

“So probably the most egregious and one of the things that pushed me over the edge was a tirade by Steve Jensen, who was at the time a section chief with the Domestic Terrorism Section,” Hill said. (RELATED: ‘Woefully Inept’: Here’s Why Some Government Officials Use Signal)

The Philadelphia FBI office was “pushing back” against investigating three individuals related to January 6, according to Hill.

He testified that Jensen called January 6 individuals “terrorists” on a 2021 conference call.

“But the Philadelphia office said, well, there’s no evidence of any kind of, you know, violent leanings or insurrectionist leanings, to which Steve Jensen said, you know, I don’t give a blank, they’re goddamn terrorists and we’re gonna round them all up,” Hill stated.

While Hill told the committee he could not recall Jensen’s “exact wording” on the call, he tweeted Saturday that he stands by his testimony.

I have no idea of the games being played by @FBI leadership. Nor do I understand the thousands of exploding heads reflexively defending people they don’t know and attacking others they don’t know. I stand by my congressional testimony. If you don’t like it, go read a book. https://t.co/yqdvmBeBDe

— Senior Chief (@SeniorChiefEXW) April 5, 2025

Backlash quickly circulated online about the appointment.

Deputy Director Dan Bongino did not address the reports directly, but posted on X that “nothing that is happening [at the FBI] is happening by accident,” adding that “not every result is going to please everyone.”

“Personnel is policy,” Senior Fellow at the Conservative Partnership Institute Cleta Mitchell replied. “We expect not to have people promoted who were at the top of the food chain leading the charge against J6 prisoners.”

Personnel is policy. We expect not to have people promoted who were at the top of the food chain leading the charge against the J6 prisoners. Please fix it @ItsYourGov

— Cleta Mitchell (@CletaMitchell) April 6, 2025

“[T]omorrow our team at [Oversight Project] will be sending a referral to [Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan and [the House Weaponization Committee] about Steve Jensen and his history of being a J6 warlord,” Mike Howell tweeted Sunday. “[I]’d like to be wrong on this but we have enough evidence to send it along. [H]opefully it makes sense soon.”

tomorrow our team at @ItsYourGov will be sending a referral to @Jim_Jordan and @Weaponization about Steve Jensen and his history of being a J6 warlord.

i’d like to be wrong on this but we have enough evidence to send it along. hopefully it makes sense soon.

— Mike Howell (@MHowellTweets) April 7, 2025

Baker implored Trump supporters to vocally oppose Jensen’s reported nomination.

“He is the perfect example of who we expected to be FIRED,” Baker tweeted.

I would admonish all Trump supporters to voice their opposition to the appointment of Steve Jensen as @FBIWFO ADIC … because this is “not what we voted for.” He is the perfect example of who we expected to be FIRED by @FBIDirectorKash and @FBIDDBongino, with a special monument…

— Steve Baker (@SteveBakerUSA) April 6, 2025

Others pushed back on the negative reports surrounding Jensen, including Jan. 6 reporter Julie Kelley.

“…there is NO QUESTION Jensen took a lead early on in the J6 investigation,” Julie Kelley tweeted. “But his record, as I am reporting, is mixed and he very likely has valuable information and access that the new FBI leadership needs.” (RELATED: Americans Are Applying To Work For Kash Patel’s FBI At Historic Rates)

More important context to Steve Jensen–and I am sorry to bring facts to the online scrum based on one inaccurately described comment.

The “God damn terrorist” remark came from George Hill, an FBI intel analyst at Boston who worked foreign/domestic terror investigations, not… pic.twitter.com/2gn9WiU4iT

— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) April 7, 2025

Bongino encouraged constructive feedback from Americans on Sunday.

“All I ask is that you consider the following feedback,” Bongino wrote. “When you see something happen, and the entire story isn’t public, and the underlying facts aren’t all public, it may appear counterintuitive to our reform agenda. I promise you, it’s not an accident.”

I’d like to add this:

Your comments and criticisms are not only welcome, but they’re helpful. We work for you, the American people.

Your feedback is invaluable. All I ask is that you consider the following feedback to the feedback. When you see something happen, and the entire… https://t.co/Lpg9Tiubxs

— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) April 6, 2025

President Trump pardoned around 1,500 individuals related to January 6, and Patel has vowed to tackle weaponization at the FBI.