Attorney General Pam Bondi has been fired
Staff Reports
WASHINGTON D.C. — President Donald Trump has fired Attorney General Pam Bondi, multiple sources confirmed Thursday, April 2, capping weeks of growing frustration within the White House over her leadership of the Justice Department.
The move comes amid reports that Trump viewed Bondi as insufficiently aggressive in pursuing investigations into his political opponents and in her handling of sensitive matters, including the Jeffrey Epstein files. Sources told major outlets that the president had privately discussed replacing her in recent days, with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin frequently mentioned as a potential successor.
According to CBS News, Trump ousted Bondi and installed Todd Blanche as acting Attorney General. The president himself confirmed the decision in a post on Truth Social Thursday afternoon.
Bondi, a longtime Trump ally and former Florida Attorney General, was confirmed by the Senate in a 54-46 vote on Feb. 4, 2025, and sworn in shortly thereafter. Her tenure has been marked by sweeping changes at the Justice Department, including the firing of numerous career prosecutors and staff involved in prior investigations of Trump, as well as significant restructuring of divisions focused on civil rights and public corruption.
Critics and some former DOJ officials accused her of transforming the department into an instrument of presidential priorities rather than an independent enforcer of the law. Supporters, however, praised her for ending what they called the “weaponization” of federal law enforcement against conservatives.
White House officials had signaled dissatisfaction in recent weeks. Trump reportedly grew impatient with the pace of certain prosecutions and expressed irritation over the Epstein-related documents. As recently as Wednesday, reports emerged that Bondi was aware her position was in jeopardy, though Trump has a history of floating personnel changes before finalizing them.
No formal statement from Bondi was immediately available. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment beyond acknowledging the leadership transition.
The abrupt change is the latest in a series of high-profile shakeups in the Trump administration’s second term. It leaves the Justice Department, which employs over 100,000 people and oversees critical national security and law enforcement functions, under interim leadership at a time when the administration continues to push aggressive policies on immigration, election integrity, and retribution against perceived enemies.
Legal experts noted that while the president has broad authority to remove the Attorney General, such a move so early in the term could further politicize the department and invite congressional scrutiny.
As of Thursday evening, the White House had not yet announced a permanent replacement, though discussions involving Zeldin and other loyalists were said to be ongoing. Trump, when asked earlier this week about Bondi, described her as “a wonderful person” who was “doing a good job,” even as reports of her impending departure circulated.
