Trump says Pam Bondi, a loyalist who oversaw Justice Department upheaval, is out as attorney general
WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump said Thursday that Pam Bondi is out as his attorney general, ending the contentious tenure of a loyalist who upended the Justice Departments culture of independence from the White House, oversaw large-scale firings of career employees and moved aggressively to investigate the Republican presidents perceived enemies.
The announcement follows months of scrutiny over the Justice Departments handling of files related to Jeffrey Epsteins sex trafficking investigation that made Bondi the target of angry conservatives even with her close relationship with Trump. She also struggled to satisfy Trumps demands to prosecute his political rivals, with multiple investigations rejected by judges or grand juries.
The former Florida attorney general came into office last year pledging that she would not play politics with the Justice Department, but she quickly started investigations of Trump foes, sparking an outcry that the law enforcement agency was being wielded as a tool of revenge to advance the presidents political and personal agenda.
Bondi ushered in a period of intense turmoil at the department that included the firings of career prosecutors deemed insufficiently loyal to Trump and the resignations of hundreds of other employees. Her departure continues a trend of Justice Department upheaval that has defined Trumps presidency as multiple attorneys general across his two terms have either been pushed out or resigned after proving unwilling or unable to meet his demands for the position.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-bondi-zeldin-justice-department-4b1bf39326d2d2c3fd41cadff91dd75b
Lonestarblue
(13,487 posts)She and DOJ lawyers have also filed to deliver criminal indictments and trials against people Trump considers his enemies--because they didn't commit any crimes. Their crimes exist only in Trump's warped mind.
She will be replaced by someone even worse--if that is even possible.
louis-t
(24,623 posts)Democrats must hold these crooks accountable when they take back the Congress.
Dulcinea
(10,102 posts)I hope so.
question everything
(52,150 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(179,958 posts)The president ousted the attorney general, not because she corrupted the Justice Department, but because she didnt corrupt it enough.
The problem isnât with Trumpâs decision to oust Bondi â she was a cartoonish failure and a national embarrassment â but rather with his motivation.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-04-02T18:40:23.440Z
He fired his AG, not because she corrupted the Justice Department, but because she didnât corrupt it enough.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/by-ousting-pam-bondi-trump-made-the-right-call-for-the-wrong-reasons
The reprieve was short-lived. MS NOW reported:
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he has fired Attorney General Pam Bondi, removing her as the nations top prosecutor. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as acting attorney general, the president wrote.
Trump had informed Bondi in recent days that she would soon be removed from her position, a White House official and another person familiar with the situation told MS NOW. The official said Trump still personally likes Bondi and notified her before the official removal to help her along.
The president confirmed the news by way of his social media platform, writing that the Florida Republican 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......
As MS NOWs Ken Dilanian reported, Pam Bondi was fired largely because Donald Trump grew dissatisfied with her inability to deliver on prosecuting his perceived enemies.
This is the entire story in one sentence: The president ousted Bondi, not because she corrupted the Justice Department, but because she didnt corrupt it enough.
Indeed, someone probably ought to tell the president that her successor will struggle just as much as she did to meet his expectations, because Trump wants what an attorney general cant deliver: evidence-free indictments against his perceived political enemies.