In a surprising development, President has discussed firing Attorney General Pam Bondi in recent days and replacing her with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, a CNN report said.
Why does Trump want to replace Pam Bondi?
Although Donald Trump has consistently spoken positively about , he has recently spoken to his allies privately about the possibility of replacing her, amid growing backlash in his base over the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, sources close to CNN explained.
He is also unhappy that she hasn’t investigated his political opponents enough. In September, Trump wrote a social media post directed at Bondi, grumbling about the lack of indictments.
A New York Times report said, over the past year, Trump has sent mixed signals about Bondi, at times expressing private frustration that she has not been aggressive or effective enough in advancing his agenda. However, it’s not clear whether the president has made up his mind. On Wednesday, Bondi was with Trump, riding in his motorcade as he attended the Supreme Court arguments on and listening in person to his remarks on the Iran war that night.
Later, Trump remarked, “Attorney General Pam Bondi is a wonderful person, and she is doing a good job.”
Bondi was Trump’s second choice to head the Justice Department after former Republican Representative Matt Gaetz withdrew amid insufficient support from GOP senators. Trump had earlier considered her for a role in his administration back in 2018, following his dismissal of then–Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Who is Lee Zeldin?
, a former Republican congressman from New York who previously ran unsuccessfully for governor, has emerged as one of Donald Trump’s most dependable allies. Now serving as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, he is charged with protecting human health and the environment, yet has focused strongly on advancing Trump’s agenda of “energy dominance.”
“He’s our secret weapon,” Trump said of Zeldin in February at a White House event promoting the coal industry, adding, “He’s getting those approvals done in record-setting time.”
