Trump fires Attorney General Pam Bondi over Epstein files, political prosecutions
Trump spoke personally with Bondi on Wednesday in what a source described as a tough conversation to inform her that her time in the role was coming to an end
U.S. President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, ending a turbulent 14-month tenure at the helm of the Justice Department. Trump confirmed the move in a Truth Social post in which he called Bondi a Great American Patriot and announced that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche would step in as acting attorney general.
Trump offered no explicit reason for the dismissal, saying only that Bondi would be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector. However, according to multiple sources cited by CNN, the president’s frustration had been building on several fronts: Bondi’s handling of files related to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and what Trump perceived as insufficient zeal in prosecuting his political adversaries.
The Epstein case became a persistent source of friction. In February 2025, Bondi stated in a television interview that she had a list of Epstein clients sitting on her desk, but the Justice Department later denied such a list existed. The contradiction drew anger from lawmakers in both parties and from segments of Trump’s conservative base.
On the political prosecution front, results were equally disappointing. A federal judge dismissed the indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James after ruling that the acting U.S. attorney who secured them had been unlawfully appointed. Other Justice Department targets — including Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Senator Adam Schiff, and former CIA Director John Brennan — remain under investigation with no concrete outcomes.
Trump spoke personally with Bondi on Wednesday in what a source described as a tough conversation to inform her that her time in the role was coming to an end. The attorney general was present that same evening during Trump’s national address on the Iran war.
Blanche, who served as Trump’s defense attorney during the criminal cases he faced after his first term, thanked the president for his trust. Bondi confirmed her departure on X and said she would spend the next month transitioning the office.
Her firing is the second major Cabinet shake-up in less than a month, following the dismissal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on March 5. Sources indicate Trump is considering Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin as a potential permanent replacement, though other candidates are also under review.
