Bongino's vaccine mandate feud with Cumulus radio escalates as conservative pundit goes off air

The disagreement between conservative talk show host Dan Bongino and Cumulus Media over the company's vaccination mandate appears to have escalated with Bongino going off air this week.

Bongino earlier this month said on air and on social media that Cumulus, which distributes his show, can either rescind its mandate that employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 or he'll quit.

"You can have me or you can have the [vaccine] mandate," he tweeted. "But you can't have both of us." 

The weekday show has been off air Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and reruns of his live show have instead been aired in his slot, according to the Washington Examiner. 

Bongino said this week on his podcast that negotiations with Cumulus were turning "ugly." 

"It's unfortunately an ugly fight," he said Wednesday. "I wish it weren't. But some of the people who have been fired from Cumulus, their stories are piling in, and they're pretty disturbing." 

Bongino is vaccinated but is opposed to vaccination mandates. Cumulus Media did not respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment.