Donald Trump has fired Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, ending her tenure as the nation's chief law enforcement officer after months of growing frustration over her handling of the Epstein files and faltering attempts to prosecute the president's political enemies.
In a social media post on Thursday, Trump said: "We love Pam, and she 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." He confirmed that her deputy, Todd Blanche, would take over on an interim basis.
Bondi's time in office was marked by controversial efforts to go after Trump's opponents and by accusations of a cover-up related to the Epstein case. Her departure follows intense pressure from the president and criticism from Democrats, who cheered her dismissal and attacked the handling of the Epstein files as a cover-up.
The firing serves as a reminder that even ultra-loyalists can be cast aside by Trump, according to political analysis. Bondi had been seen as one of the president's most staunch defenders, but the mounting disputes over the Epstein investigation ultimately sealed her fate.
