Andrew Bailey’s political ascent has been nothing short of meteoric. In just under three years, the Missouri Attorney General carved out a reputation as a fierce defender of conservative causes, a relentless legal combatant in the nation’s culture wars, and an unwavering ally of former President Donald Trump. Now, as of Monday, September 8, 2025, Bailey is stepping onto the national stage as a co-deputy director at the FBI—an appointment that has both his supporters and critics watching closely.
Bailey’s journey to the upper echelons of federal law enforcement began in January 2023, when he was appointed Missouri’s Attorney General. At just 44 years old and a decorated Iraq War veteran, Bailey brought with him a résumé that included stints as a prosecutor and as counsel to a Republican governor, according to St. Louis Public Radio. His tenure as Attorney General was marked by a flurry of high-profile legal actions, many of which reflected the priorities of Missouri’s conservative base.
Perhaps most notably, Bailey became a lightning rod in the state’s ongoing battle over abortion rights. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion in 2022, Missouri swiftly enacted one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. This move ignited a push from voters to legalize abortion at the state level. Despite clear voter support for legalization, Bailey remained steadfast in his opposition. He argued that legalizing abortion would cost Missouri lost revenue from hypothetical taxes on people who would not be born—a claim that was ultimately rejected by the Missouri Supreme Court, which refused to allow that fiscal note on the ballot.
Bailey’s approach drew sharp criticism from his political opponents. Democratic state Senator Stephen Webber told St. Louis Public Radio, “That’s a perfect encapsulation of where politics has gone in the Trump era. It’s completely legitimate to have policy disagreements and to have policy debates, but they need to be grounded in something. And that fiscal note wasn’t grounded in anything. It was purely performative.”
Even after voters successfully legalized abortion in Missouri, Bailey was undeterred. He attempted to enforce remaining laws that would have made abortion almost inaccessible, sparking further controversy. Margot Riphagen, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action, didn’t mince words: “His entire goal here was to sow confusion, to overturn the will of the people and to not protect those who are most vulnerable. So when I think about what’s going to happen on a national scale, it’s going to be, you know, ten times worse. It’s going to be exactly more of the same nationally.”
Bailey’s time as Attorney General was marked by more than just the abortion fight. He also took on local officials, including an early effort to oust St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner for alleged mismanagement—a campaign that culminated in Gardner’s resignation. He similarly sought the removal of St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery, though that effort remains unresolved as of September 6, 2025.
National headlines followed Bailey’s lawsuits against major corporations over their diversity initiatives. He sued Starbucks and IBM, arguing that their racial diversity policies were discriminatory. In another high-profile move, Bailey assisted Elon Musk in a legal campaign against Media Matters, a left-of-center media watchdog group critical of Musk’s management of X (formerly Twitter).
Bailey’s legal activism extended beyond Missouri’s borders. After a New York jury convicted Donald Trump of falsifying business records, Bailey sued the state of New York, alleging that the prosecution amounted to election interference against Missouri. These actions, according to Saint Louis University law professor Anders Walker, demonstrated Bailey’s knack for identifying issues that resonated with conservative voters. “Certainly with the power of the federal government, he could pick up some of those issues, conduct investigations, use his new law enforcement capabilities to dig up dirt stories on issues he’s already done,” Walker observed in an interview with St. Louis Public Radio.
Bailey’s style has been described as both genial and combative—a combination that’s served him well in the political arena. Former Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, a Republican, recounted meeting Bailey back when he was still in law school. Rowden found him to be “a likeable person” who was willing to engage with political opponents. “In today’s era where you do have to, I think, in positions like that yell a little bit louder at times, maybe than you want to, it’s good to still be a likable human being and a genuine human being, which I think most people think he is,” Rowden told St. Louis Public Radio.
Democratic Senator Stephen Webber, who first crossed paths with Bailey on the high school debate circuit, recalled a telling moment from their teenage years. When asked whether he preferred the affirmative or negative side of an argument, Bailey replied, “I like negative,” before adding with a grin, “Because I like to break things.” For Webber, this anecdote speaks volumes about Bailey’s approach to politics and policy—one that’s often focused on challenging the status quo, sometimes for its own sake.
Bailey’s move to the FBI comes at a time of significant upheaval for the agency. Under President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, the FBI has seen heavy turnover and faces accusations from Democrats of abusing its powers to punish Trump’s political opponents. Even some Republicans have raised concerns about the agency’s handling of sensitive cases, including the investigation into convicted trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Addressing his new role, Bailey said, “My life has been defined by a call to service, and I am once again answering that call, this time at the national level.” He resigned his Missouri post effective Monday, September 8, 2025, ready to begin his tenure at the FBI.
As Bailey steps into his new position, questions abound about how his combative style and conservative credentials will shape the agency’s direction. Supporters see a principled leader ready to tackle national challenges; critics worry about the implications for issues like abortion rights and the politicization of federal law enforcement. One thing is clear: Andrew Bailey’s next chapter promises to be as eventful—and as polarizing—as his last.
