US Attorney General Pam Bondi engaged in heated exchanges with Democratic senators during a Senate judiciary committee hearing on Tuesday, as she faced questions over the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops to cities, the indictment of former FBI director James Comey, and the handling of the Epstein files.
Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee, accused Bondi of doing lasting damage to the Justice Department, saying, 'What has taken place since January 20, 2025, would make even President Nixon recoil.' Bondi responded by attacking Durbin over his vote to shut down the government, stating, 'Our law enforcement officers aren't being paid.'
When pressed on the rationale for sending National Guard troops to Chicago, Bondi told Durbin, 'I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump. If you're not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will.'
Bondi declined to discuss the indictment of James Comey, calling it a 'pending case,' but argued it was approved by 'one of the most liberal grand juries in the country.' She also refused to comment on the dropped investigation into border czar Tom Homan, saying the Justice Department found 'no credible evidence of any wrongdoing.'
During a tense exchange with Senator Alex Padilla, Bondi brought up an incident where Padilla was handcuffed by the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem. Padilla had expressed concern about the politicisation of the Justice Department.
The hearing highlighted ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and Democratic lawmakers over the independence of the Justice Department and the use of federal forces in Democratic-led jurisdictions.
