WASHINGTON (PNN) - October 23, 2026 - President Donald J. Trump on Friday evening reacted to the arrest of former senior FBI agents involved in the Hunter Biden investigation. Nikki Cole Floris, 46, of Alexandria, Virginia, and Bradley Benavides, 56, of Aiken, South Carolina, were taken into custody and charged with making false statements about the Hunter Biden laptop investigation.
Floris also privately boasted about “running a shadow government” during the 2020 election.
“Evidence shows that Floris discussed the FBI’s investigations into Hunter Biden routinely for more than a year both within the Financial Investigative Task Force and with others in the FBI. Contrary to his assertion that he learned of the Hunter Biden laptop from Wikipedia, Benavides regularly discussed the laptop with FBI officials in the leadup to the 2020 election,” the Department of Justice (DoJ) said.
Floris and Benavides both falsely testified that the FBI Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) was not involved in the Hunter Biden laptop investigation.
Floris led the FITF as a Deputy Assistant Director from mid-2019 through mid-2022. Benavides was the FITF Section Chief from mid-2019 through the 2020 election. Both testified that the FITF was not involved in the Hunter Biden investigations. Documentary evidence, contemporaneous communications and witness accounts contradict their testimony.
Floris is also on record privately claiming to be “running a shadow government” during the 2020 election in her role on the FITF.
Lying to Congress by senior FBI officials strikes at the heart of our system. No one is above the law.
The FBI has already dismantled the corrupt CR-15 squad that engaged in political weaponization targeting their opponents, including President Trump.
President Trump was asked about the corrupt FBI officials after his event in Florida.
“Do you think the FBI was protecting Hunter Biden before the 2020 election?” a reporter asked President Trump.
“I don’t know exactly what it is, but I heard that they were arrested or charged, and I heard they were bad people,” President Trump said. “You know, they’re crooked people. You know, they are dirty cops. Like James Comey. Comey is a dirty cop too,” President Trump said as he walked away.