Trump says Pam Bondi out as Attorney General 

United States President Donald Trump has announced that Pam Bondi is out as attorney general, in his second major cabinet-level shake-up in less than a month.

Trump confirmed the decision in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, after a slate of media reports suggested he was considering removing Bondi from the top law enforcement role.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will temporarily replace Bondi in an interim capacity.

“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year,” Trump wrote.

He also praised Bondi for leading the Department of Justice during a period when violent crime decreased in the US, part of a wider downward trend in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, had been closely aligned with Trump’s agenda.

That led to concerns over the independence of the Department of Justice, particularly as top prosecutors under Bondi’s command announced investigations and criminal charges against Trump’s political opponents.

In one case, last September, Trump addressed a social media post directly to Bondi, appearing to call on her to take action against three critics: Senator Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI director James Comey.

“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump wrote in the post to Bondi. “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

Indictments against James and Comey were delivered in the subsequent weeks.

Critics and legal groups, including the American Bar Association, have warned that such actions have chipped away at the Justice Department’s tradition of independence, leading to politically motivated prosecutions.

Bondi has also come under fire for her handling of investigative files related to financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump did not mention his reasoning for the decision, instead writing, “We love Pam.” He added that she would be “transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector”.

More to come…