Attorney General Pam Bondi is out at the Justice Department, President Donald Trump said on Thursday.
“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday. “Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900. 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.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as acting attorney general, Trump said. “A very talented and respected Legal Mind,” Trump wrote.
The White House did not respond to an immediate request for comment.
Trump had discussed firing Bondi in recent days after months of frustration, according to the New York Times, and replacing her with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin. Chief among his complaints includes Bondi’s handling of the government’s files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, of which she promised to release documents sitting on her desk in February last year, only for the Justice Department to effectively close the case last July.
Congress eventually passed a bill demanding the release of all files pertaining to Epstein, which began late last year. Bondi tried to defend her handling of the Epstein files during a congressional hearing in February, though she declined to make eye contact with Epstein victims seated behind her at the hearing.
Trump was also frustrated by what he believes is a lack of aggression in going after his political foes, according to the Times. Trump wrote a Truth Social post in September directed at Bondi that demanded she prosecute some of his political enemies, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and former FBI Director James Comey.
“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump wrote. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”
Bondi marks the second cabinet official Trump has ousted this year. Trump replaced Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last month with Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OH), who took over the department last week.