Pam Bondi looked happy when she joined Donald Trump for a White House broadcast the day before she was fired as U.S. attorney general. But maybe that smile was just for show. Earlier that same day, they rode together to the Supreme Court, where Trump was listening to arguments about his executive order that stops birthright citizenship. During the ride, Trump reportedly told Bondi, “I think it’s time,” as reported by The Wall Street Journal. That might have meant it was time for Bondi to leave the administration. She might have thought it was a joke, especially since the ride was on April 1, which is April Fool’s Day. But it wasn’t. On April 2, Trump made it clear what Bondi had already found out in the back of the presidential limo — she was fired.
Bondi had asked if she could keep her job through the summer, but that wasn’t an option for Trump.
There had been rumors for a while that Bondi’s time as attorney general would end in 2026, so it wasn’t a big surprise. But the fact that it was just four words from Trump that ended her job felt harsh, though at least he didn’t use his “The Apprentice” catchphrase “you’re fired” on her.
Bondi had tried to stay on Trump’s good side before she lost her job.
Right after she became attorney general, she sent out a memo that included the line, “the responsibilities of Department of Justice attorneys include … vigorously defending presidential policies and actions against legal challenges on behalf of the United States.”
It seems that whatever Pam Bondi did, it wasn’t enough for Trump.
While Trump’s post on Truth Social about Bondi’s firing was all positive, he was reportedly unhappy with how she dealt with the Jeffrey Epstein files. Another possible issue was that Bondi wasn’t able to move forward with some of his personal grudges. Trump once posted what looked like a direct message to Bondi asking her to go after some of his political enemies. His post was later deleted, but he specifically mentioned former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Bondi seemed to try her best to help Trump get what he wanted. She named Lindsey Halligan as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Halligan took on cases against both Comey and James. However, Halligan faced her own quick downfall when the cases were thrown out of court.
In her X post (formerly Twitter) about being fired, Bondi showed a brave face, saying 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.”
Bondi’s firing follows Trump removing his Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, in March.
Todd Blanche, who has had plenty of awkward moments as Trump’s private attorney and as deputy attorney general, is now the acting attorney general.
About the Author
