The FBI’s latest personnel decision is causing a political earthquake in Washington — and it’s coming from inside the building. On Sunday, the bureau confirmed the promotion of Steve Jensen, the agent who ran domestic terrorism operations during the January 6 investigations, to assistant director in charge of the Washington Field Office.

For many Americans still reeling from the fallout of 2021’s politically charged prosecutions, it felt like salt in the wound.

Jensen, who led the Domestic Terrorism Operations Section from April 2020 to October 2021, not only oversaw the agency’s approach to January 6 but also reportedly helped establish the system that tracked school board protests as potential threats. He was at the center of both the Capitol riot dragnet and the backlash against parents opposing critical race theory and COVID mandates — and now he’s being promoted.

According to internal emails shared by Blaze journalist Steve Baker, Jensen told colleagues he had been tapped unexpectedly by the FBI Director and Deputy Director to take over the Washington Field Office. “I firmly believe in the philosophy of servant leadership and service over self,” he wrote.

But that rosy sentiment didn’t calm the storm outside. On social media, critics across the conservative spectrum torched the move, calling it an insult to the Americans unfairly targeted under Jensen’s direction.

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

Retired FBI National Security Supervisor George Hill testified before Congress last year that Jensen referred to January 6 defendants as “goddamn terrorists” and insisted they be rounded up, despite a lack of evidence. Hill reiterated on X this week that he stands by his testimony.

“This isn’t just tone-deaf,” wrote Cleta Mitchell of the Conservative Partnership Institute. “It’s a direct rebuke of every American who demanded accountability from the FBI over its weaponization.”

Dan Bongino, now serving as FBI Deputy Director under Kash Patel, addressed the uproar — without naming Jensen — and hinted there may be more going on behind the scenes than the public realizes.

“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,” Bongino posted on X. “I promise you, it’s not an accident.”

That hasn’t stopped the blowback. Mike Howell of the Oversight Project announced his team would be sending a referral to Rep. Jim Jordan and the House Weaponization Committee about Jensen’s history. “He’s a J6 warlord,” Howell said.

Not everyone is convinced the promotion is a step in the wrong direction. Jan. 6 reporter Julie Kelley noted that while Jensen’s role in early investigations is undeniable, his institutional knowledge could now serve reformers.

But for many, that’s a tough sell. President Trump has already pardoned some 1,500 individuals tied to January 6, and his administration — led by Patel, Bongino, and Attorney General Pam Bondi — has made dismantling the FBI’s old guard a top priority. That mission is now colliding with a bureaucratic reality many conservatives hoped was over.

The appointment also revives scrutiny of Jensen’s role in the school board crackdown, where parents protesting local COVID policies were treated as potential terror threats. That “threat tag” system, uncovered by House Republicans, was seen as one of the most egregious abuses of federal law enforcement in decades.

Now, the man connected to both J6 prosecutions and school board surveillance is running the most powerful FBI field office in the country.

For those hoping the new FBI leadership was committed to a clean break with the past, this feels more like a painful reminder of how deep the rot goes — and how hard it will be to root out.