Donald Trump has fired Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, ending the tenure of a loyalist who reshaped the justice department but failed to satisfy a president intent on prosecuting political enemies and frustrated by the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Bondi as "a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend" and announced she would transition to a new job in the private sector. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as acting attorney general, with Lee Zeldin, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, tipped as a leading candidate to replace her.
During her 14 months in office, Bondi oversaw a purge of career justice department staff, shifted priorities towards immigration enforcement, and defended Trump's executive orders against legal challenges. Federal prosecutors under her leadership indicted James Comey, the former FBI director, and Letitia James, the New York attorney general, as well as John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser. They also attempted to bring charges against six members of Congress after Trump accused them of "seditious behaviour".
Bondi's contradictory statements about the Epstein files, which fuelled demands for their release, also drew the president's ire. Democrats insist her dismissal does not nullify a congressional subpoena over the matter. Robert Garcia, the ranking member of the House oversight committee, said she would still be expected to testify under oath, while a committee spokesperson said Republican members would confer with the Department of Justice on next steps.
The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, responded with "good riddance", and Blanche defended his predecessor, saying she "led this Department with strength and conviction". Bondi is the second female cabinet member ousted in recent weeks, following the dismissal of homeland security secretary Kristi Noem after a contentious Senate hearing.
