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Donald Trump has removed Pam Bondi from her role as Attorney General, marking another high-profile shake-up within his administration. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will take over as acting attorney general while a permanent replacement is considered.
The announcement was made on April 2, with Trump praising Bondi's service despite her departure. "Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year," he said. He added that she would be moving into "a much needed and important new job in the private sector."
Bondi's exit follows months of criticism tied to the handling of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. The release of these files had been a key campaign issue, but the process drew backlash after documents were issued gradually and with heavy redactions. Lawmakers from both parties raised concerns over delays and transparency, with some accusing the Department of Justice of withholding key information.
Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin criticised the situation, saying, "The Department of Justice is under orders from Congress to release the entire Epstein file. They've released 3.5 million documents and they've withheld 3 million documents." He also claimed, "I think that the Department of Justice has been in a cover-up mode for many months and has been trying to sweep the entire thing under the rug."
Even within the administration, concerns were raised about how the matter was handled. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said Bondi "completely whiffed" on understanding how important the issue was to key groups, adding that initial releases lacked meaningful content.
In addition to the Epstein controversy, Bondi faced criticism over other Justice Department decisions, including prosecutorial appointments and responses to high-profile incidents. Her February testimony before Congress was marked by tense exchanges with lawmakers, further intensifying scrutiny.
Despite earlier public support, Trump had recently described her as "a wonderful person" doing "a good job" reports suggest he had grown frustrated with her performance, including her handling of politically sensitive cases.
