The Senate has officially confirmed Pam Bondi as the new attorney general, appointing a seasoned supporter of President Trump to oversee the Justice Department and its workforce of over 100,000, including the FBI.
Bondi received confirmation by a narrow vote of 54 to 46.
With nearly two decades of experience as a prosecutor in Tampa, Florida, and eight years serving as the state’s attorney general, Bondi arrives at her new post well-prepared.
Strongly connected to Trump’s inner circle, Bondi was notably a speaker for Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention and acted as one of his personal attorneys during his first impeachment trial. Furthermore, she recently led the legal operations of a think tank affiliated with former Trump administration officials.
Prior to her nomination, Bondi was vocal in promoting unfounded claims regarding election fraud in 2020 and asserted that Trump faced unfair legal challenges after his presidency. This led to significant scrutiny during her confirmation hearings, with Democrats questioning her ability to run an impartial Justice Department.
In response, Bondi assured lawmakers of her commitment to independence, declaring, “Every case will be prosecuted based on the facts and the law that is applied in good faith — period. Politics have got to be taken out of the system.”
Questions surfaced regarding her potential prosecution of Trump’s political adversaries, highlighting comments she made about a “deep state” during a media appearance earlier in 2023.
During her hearing, Bondi highlighted her focus will be on combating gangs, drugs, and foreign threats, emphasizing her dedication to restoring integrity to the DOJ. “The partisanship, the weaponization will be gone. America will have one tier of justice for all,” she affirmed.
Her nomination followed the withdrawal of Trump’s initial candidate, Matt Gaetz, who resigned amid serious misconduct allegations, which he consistently denied.
