US President Donald Trump has ousted Pam Bondi from her position as Attorney General, appointing Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to serve as her temporary replacement.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump announced that Bondi would be “transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector.” He praised her as a “Great American Patriot” and a “loyal friend,” crediting her with a massive crackdown on crime that saw murder rates fall to their lowest levels since 1900.
However, sources told CNN that the president had grown frustrated with Bondi on several fronts, including her management of the Jeffrey Epstein files and a perceived failure to sufficiently investigate or prosecute his political rivals.
Her departure follows the recent removal of Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s defence attorney, will lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) while the administration considers a permanent successor. Sources suggest Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin is a primary candidate for the role.
Any new nominee will face a potentially arduous confirmation process in the Senate, where they may need to demonstrate a commitment to traditional independence from the White House.
Bondi’s tenure was marked by efforts to carry out the president’s desired legal actions, though these met with significant obstacles.
The DOJ secured indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, but both were subsequently thrown out by a judge.
More recently, Bondi had been pushing for charges against former CIA Director John Brennan regarding statements made about Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
The former attorney general also remains embroiled in controversy surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
After claiming in a February 2025 interview that an Epstein “client list” was on her desk for review, the DOJ later asserted no such list existed. Bondi currently faces a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee to testify on the matter.
Following the announcement, Bondi stated on X that leading the DOJ was the “honour of a lifetime” and that she would assist in a month-long transition to Blanche. Despite the president’s assertion that she is moving to the private sector, sources claim she does not yet have another job lined up.
