Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has been dismissed by President Donald Trump, multiple reports confirmed, ending the tenure of a loyalist who transformed the Justice Department but struggled to meet the president’s politically charged expectations.

Bondi’s Dismissal and Trump’s Statement

“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown on crime across our country, with murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900. We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much-needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced soon.”

Trump announced that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as acting attorney general. Former New York congressman and current EPA chief Lee Zeldin is reportedly a leading contender to succeed Bondi.

Controversial Tenure at the Justice Department

During her time in office, Bondi purged career staff, shifted priorities from traditional criminal prosecutions to immigration cases, and defended Trump’s executive orders in court. However, she is perhaps best remembered for complying with Trump’s public demands that federal prosecutors pursue charges against his political adversaries.

Within three weeks of her compliance, federal prosecutors indicted former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Trump critics, including former National Security Adviser John Bolton and six members of Congress, were also investigated or indicted, though some cases failed to gain traction with grand juries.

Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files drew intense scrutiny, with contradictory statements fueling demands for transparency. Trump had grown increasingly frustrated with her management of the files, which have remained a politically sensitive issue for his administration.