(WASHINGTON)–President Donald Trump removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her job on Thursday, appointing an underling as the acting replacement while he ponders a permanent successor.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Bondi’s tenure, writing that she is “a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend” who led a major campaign against crime.
“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,” Trump continued.
In the same post, Trump added that Bondi deputy Todd Blanche would serve as the new acting attorney general. Blanche said he was grateful for the opportunity and would continue the department’s work.
“Thank you to President Trump for the trust and the opportunity to serve as Acting Attorney General,” he wrote on X. “We will continue backing the blue, enforcing the law, and doing everything in our power to keep America safe.”
The move comes amid bipartisan criticism of Bondi’s handling of the government files on notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) wrote on X that Bondi “handled the Epstein Files in a terrible manner and seriously undermined President Trump.”
Democrats went a step further, tying Bondi’s tenure to broader concerns about the Justice Department and the administration as a whole. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on X, “Good riddance. Pam Bondi was the wrong choice from the start. But the rot at the Department of Justice begins and ends with Donald Trump.”
The House Judiciary Democrats also took credit for Bondi’s removal on X, saying, “Two Trump cabinet officials have faced serious and aggressive questioning by @HouseJudiciary. Both have since been fired.” The account added that the “administration’s actions and policies cannot withstand real oversight and scrutiny.”
The House Judiciary Democrats made a similar claim following the departure of Kristi Noem from the Department of Homeland Security in March. They framed both as results of congressional and democratic pressure.
It remains unclear who Trump will nominate as Bondi’s successor or when that process will begin.