Pam Bondi firing update: President Donald Trump has fired Attorney General Bondi, and is replacing her with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Bondi will be offered another position in the administration, CBS reported, citing sources. This comes after The New York Times reported about the president being frustrated with the AG over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
On Thursday, AP cited sources to report that Lee Zeldin could become the new AG if Bondi is fired. However, there is no update on Zeldin yet.
What did Trump say?
“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year. Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900. We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future, and our Deputy Attorney General, and a very talented and respected Legal Mind, Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Why Trump fired Pam Bondi
As per the AP report, Trump is not only concerned about the Epstein situation, he is also frustrated about the hurdles the Justice Department has encountered in investigations into his perceived enemies.
Sources told the news wire that Trump has mentioned other candidates but has raised Zeldin’s name as recently as this week. However, no decision has been announced yet.
“Attorney General Pam Bondi is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job,” Trump said in a statement produced by the White House.
Lee Zeldin rumors
Zeldin has emerged as a rising figure within Trump’s inner circle, earning both public and private praise from the former president, the report stated. At a February event, Trump highlighted his importance, calling him ‘our secret weapon’.
Meanwhile, Bondi has faced mounting scrutiny during her tenure, despite initially promising to keep politics out of the Justice Department. Since taking office more than a year ago, she has drawn criticism for launching a series of investigations targeting individuals seen as political adversaries of Trump.
Those probes included high-profile figures such as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI Director James Comey, and former CIA Director John Brennan. The moves triggered backlash from critics who argued the department was being used to pursue political vendettas.
Tulsi Gabbard warned
Meanwhile, reports stated that the president has also spoken about sacking director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. He reportedly expressed his frustration, saying she shielded a former deputy who spoke against the war in Iran.
