Trump appoints Pam Bondi as Attorney General

November 21, 2024 – WASHINGTON D.C. – President-elect Donald J. Trump (R) nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) to be the next U.S. Attorney General. The announcement came after Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz Donald Trump's previous pick for attorney general, withdrew from consideration.

Bondi is a former attorney general of Florida.

"Pam Bondi is a brilliant attorney with a long career of fighting for the Constitution," said U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville. "She will do a great job restoring JUSTICE at the DOJ. I look forward to the Senate QUICKLY confirming her to be our next Attorney General. No time to waste - our future is at stake."

Bondi was elected as Florida attorney general in 2010 and served two terms. She left office in 2019 and worked on Trump's defense teams for both of his impeachment trials. Bondi has also worked as a lobbyist. She previously worked for the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-aligned nonprofit.

Supporters and opponents alike predict that Bondi will likely be a more effective and reasonable attorney general than Gaetz would have been. She has experience as both a prosecutor and a state attorney general. Like Gaetz, she backed Trump's claims of election fraud in 2020. Trump has also already named three of his personal criminal-defense attorneys to top DOJ positions.

Gaetz stepped aside a day after meeting informally with Senators. Opponents of his appointments pointed to allegations that Gaetz has made cash payments to sex partners, may have used illicit drugs, may have had sexual relations with girls as young as 17, and may have accepted improper gifts. A House Ethics Committee report on Gaetz has been suppressed after he resigned from Congress; but that report and the findings of an FBI investigation into Gaetz would likely have been sought by his critics. Gaetz said when he withdrew that he did not want his confirmation process to be a distraction for the Trump administration.

Trump will not be inaugurated until January 20. The new President hopes to get his administration up and running quickly in order to pass his agenda items. Doing that requires getting Trump's picks confirmed in a timely manner. Attorney General is one of the key positions for any administration as the AG is effectively the President's lawyer in addition to his/her role as the head of the Department of Justice.

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