A recent straw poll conducted among grassroots conservative activists has singled out one member of Donald Trump's cabinet for particular criticism, highlighting growing discontent over the handling of a high-profile investigation.
Bondi Tops Disapproval Poll at Arizona Gathering
The survey was taken this weekend at an event in Arizona hosted by Turning Point USA, the conservative nonprofit founded by Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September. Attendees were asked to rate the job performance of Trump's cabinet officials.
The results were clear: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was the least impressive. A significant 29 percent of respondents stated they either "somewhat disapprove" or "strongly disapprove" of her performance. She was the only cabinet member to register disapproval ratings that low in the poll.
This sentiment appears directly linked to the ongoing controversy surrounding the release of documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. The Department of Justice, under Bondi's leadership, has faced intense scrutiny for its handling of the process.
Epstein Files Release Fuels Backlash
The DOJ released thousands more documents last Friday, the deadline set by Congress. However, the release angered many, as numerous files contained heavy redactions or were still missing entirely. Although the DOJ was accused of missing the initial deadline, it has continued to release material in the days since.
On Tuesday morning, a further 30,000 pages of documents, photographs, and investigative material concerning Epstein were made public. Despite this, a statement from 19 of Epstein's victims criticised Bondi and the DOJ, asserting, "We are told that there are hundreds and thousands of pages of documents still unreleased. These are clear-cut violations of an unambiguous law."
This frustration has translated into political action. Republican Representative Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna have accused Bondi of "inherent contempt" for failing to release the full files on time. The bipartisan duo have announced they are teaming up to draft contempt charges against her.
In the poll, only 32.9 percent of respondents said they "strongly approve" of Bondi's work. Other officials with relatively low approval ratings included Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins (39.5% approval) and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-De-Remer (30.9% approval).
Hegseth, Kennedy Jr., and Rubio Lead Approval Ratings
Conversely, the Turning Point USA poll revealed the cabinet's most popular figures. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth emerged as the most highly regarded, scoring an impressive 83.3 percent approval from those who "strongly approve" of his performance.
He was closely followed by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (80.8 percent) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (78.6 percent). Transport Secretary Sean Duffy received the lowest disapproval rating of all, with a mere 0.5 percent saying they "strongly disagree" with his performance.
Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, told Fox News Digital on Monday, "We wanted to get a real read on where the base is at after Charlie's assassination, and a few things really jump off the page." The poll results certainly underscore a distinct rift in conservative opinion regarding the Attorney General's handling of one of the administration's most sensitive legal matters.
