The rather milquetoast tweaking has left Wood fuming, with the lawyer claiming Bongino is now part of an elaborate “deep state” plot with additional sinister ties to the Central Intelligence Agency. “Dan Bongino, Dan Bongino, Dan Bongino,” Wood wrote on Telegram last week, before labeling the Fox star a “Deep State Mockingbird” who once “protected Obama, Obama, Obama.” Bongino was, in fact, a U.S. Secret Service agent for many years and did protect then-President Barack Obama, but has not been affiliated with the government agency in years. The Fox News host did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

“Give these traitors to ‘We The People’ enough rope, and they eventually out themselves,” Wood additionally wrote last week on Telegram, an encrypted messaging app beloved by the far right, while taking aim at right-wing foes including Carlson and Bongino, whom he deemed part of an extensive “deep state plot,” which he clarified as being “very, very deep.”

And on Monday morning, after Wood threatened to file a defamation lawsuit against Bongino, the Fox host fired back and issued a challenge: “Lets’ see who’s got the guts,” he said. “I’ll tell you what, Lin, you put down [on] your Telegram, in writing, today, your hard evidence I have any connection whatsoever [to the CIA],” he said. “Let’s put down in writing your case.”