US President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi - a longtime ally and fierce defender of his administration - from her post as America's top law enforcement officer.
Trump praised her in a post on Truth Social and said she would be transitioning to a role in the private sector.
Bondi's time leading the justice department was often overshadowed by its handling of the release of files relating to Jeffrey Epstein and its investigation into the convicted sex offender.
She is the second Trump administration official in recent weeks to be cut from her post, after Kristi Noem was ousted as homeland security chief in March. Bondi will be replaced by her former deputy, Todd Blanche.
Bondi said she would be working tirelessly to transfer her work to Blanche, adding that the job had been the honor of a lifetime.
Bondi added that in her new private sector position - which she did not identify - she would continue fighting for President Trump and this administration.
The announcement comes less than two months after a combative congressional hearing in which Bondi was peppered with questions from lawmakers - at times descending into shouting matches in which she called one Democrat a washed up loser.
As recently as Thursday morning, Trump was defending Bondi, saying: She is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job.\
But hours later, Trump confirmed her departure on Truth Social, saying that her new private sector role would be announced at a date in the near future. The news was first broken by Fox.
Trump lauded Bondi's performance as attorney general in his post, saying she had done a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in crime across our country.
However, Trump reportedly grew increasingly frustrated with Bondi, particularly over her handling of the Epstein files. When she was sworn into post in February 2025, she vowed transparency on the Epstein case and promised to release an alleged client list associated with the disgraced financier, who died in 2019. The department later stated no such list existed.
Moreover, millions of files related to Epstein were released, albeit under pressure - including from Trump supporters - and only after Congress passed a law requiring the Department of Justice to make unclassified records public. Bondi has faced bipartisan backlash over her handling of the Epstein investigation.
Some lawmakers criticized the justice department for failing to fully comply with the law and for being inappropriately withholding documents, which it denied. Survivors have also expressed frustration, stating Bondi had yet to meet or respond to them regarding Epstein's wrongdoing.
Despite the controversy, a handful of Republicans praised Bondi's leadership. Todd Blanche, her successor, acknowledged her strength and commitment. On the other hand, critics, including some Republicans, were quick to express their relief at her departure, highlighting the ongoing challenges Bondi's tenure brought to Trump's administration.
With Bondi's exit, the question remains: who will replace her and how will the DOJ approach the ongoing ramifications of the Epstein case?
