Attorney General Pam Bondi is leaving her position, President Donald Trump announced Thursday, amid reports that he was frustrated with her handling of some of his key priorities.
“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,” he said in a Truth Social post, adding that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche would take over as the acting attorney general.
A senior administration official and a source familiar with the matter told NBC News that Bondi was fired.
Trump had grown “more and more frustrated” with Bondi in recent days, a person familiar with White House deliberations said, adding that while he likes her as a person, he doesn’t think she has “executed on his vision” in the way that he wants.
Trump and Bondi spoke Wednesday, and he informed her that her time as attorney general was coming to an end, according to an administration official.
But changing the Justice Department’s leadership doesn’t guarantee the president the outcome he seeks, as courts have so far largely blocked the administration’s efforts to go after his enemies, and Congress successfully sought and won the release of the DOJ’s files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Bondi said on X that she would be “moving to an important private sector role I am thrilled about, and where I will continue fighting for President Trump and this Administration.”
“I remain eternally grateful for the trust that President Trump placed in me to Make America Safe Again,” she added.
Blanche, who was formerly one of Trump’s personal lawyers, also thanked him on X.
“Pam Bondi led this Department with strength and conviction and I’m grateful for her leadership and friendship,” he said. “Thank you to President Trump for the trust and the opportunity to serve as Acting Attorney General. We will continue backing the blue, enforcing the law, and doing everything in our power to keep America safe.”
Bondi is the second Cabinet member to be axed by the president. Kristi Noem was fired last month as homeland security secretary in a descent that mirrored Bondi’s.
NBC News reported that Trump grew increasingly frustrated with Noem but that her performance at two congressional hearings is what finally cost her the job.
Trump had chosen Bondi, a longtime loyalist, to lead the Justice Department after embattled former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew as nominee.
Bondi had long ties to Trump. During the 2016 Republican National Convention, she joined in “lock her up” chants aimed at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and she was then part of Trump’s defence team during his first impeachment trial.
After Trump lost the 2020 election, she was involved in efforts to overturn the results, falsely claiming that he had “won Pennsylvania.”
handling of the files, some of which have included many redactions when released. Survivors pointed out that some information about possible accomplices was redacted, while other information about victims of Epstein’s crimes was left untouched when it should have been blacked out.
The House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena Bondi for testimony last month as part of the panel’s Epstein investigation. The committee said Thursday that it plans to review the status of her pending subpoena.
A House Oversight Committee spokeswoman tells NBC News: “Since Pam Bondi is no longer Attorney General, Chairman Comer will speak with Republican members and the Department of Justice about the status of the deposition subpoena and confer on next steps.”
The Republican majority controls when subpoenas are issued.