Trump Dismisses US Attorney General Pam Bondi

Donald Trump was full of praise for Pam Bondi in a post announcing her firing, saying she did a “tremendous job” overseeing a crackdown on crime and was a “loyal friend” and “patriot”.”

But her dismissal did not come as a surprise to those closely watching the White House.

The president’s frustration had been growing with her leadership at the justice department – particularly over her handling of the Epstein files which have become a reputational liability for the administration.

The US House of Representatives’ main investigative committee recently legally compelled her to testify about her department’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump has often demanded unrestricted control of the justice department to pursue investigations into targets of his choosing, even when he was warned there was no evidence to do so.

He addressed that directly in a post directed at Bondi – saying the delays in those cases were “killing our reputation and credibility”.

We can now bring you a statement from outgoing US Attorney General Pam Bondi.

In an online statement, Bondi says she will work towards transitioning the office to her deputy and that she is excited about her new role in the private sector. She did not disclose details about her future role but said she would continue supporting Trump and his administration in her new capacity.

“Leading President Trump’s historic and highly successful efforts to make America safer and more secure has been the honor of a lifetime, and easily the most consequential first year of the Department of Justice in American history.”

Trump says deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will step in as Bondi’s replacement in an acting capacity.

Before becoming the number two at the justice department, Blanche was Trump’s personal lawyer.

He defended Trump in a range of cases including his federal prosecution for allegedly withholding classified documents after his first presidency and over alleged attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss. Both of those cases were dropped after Trump won the 2024 election because of justice department policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents.

Blanche, 51, was born in Colorado and earned his bachelor’s degree from American University in Washington, DC. He went on to obtain a law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 2003.

Much of his legal career was spent as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York before briefly going into private practice at law firms Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.