President-elect Donald Trump wasted little time in naming another attorney general Thursday after former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida withdrew his nomination earlier in the day. Trump nominated Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and prosecutor for nearly 20 years.
“I am proud to announce former Attorney General of the Great State of Florida, Pam Bondi, as our next Attorney General of the United States,” Trump posted Thursday night on his social media platform Truth Social. “Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on Violent Criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida Families.”
“Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs, and reduce the tragedy of Fentanyl Overdose Deaths, which have destroyed many families across our Country,” Trump added. “She did such an incredible job, that I asked her to serve on our Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during my first Term—We saved many lives!”
The president-elect specifically hailed Bondi as a force against the weaponization of the federal government against conservatives.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — Not anymore,” Trump wrote. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again. I have known Pam for many years — She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”
Gaetz, Trump’s first pick for attorney general, withdrew his nomination in a surprise move Thursday amid sexual assault claims.
The Justice Department previously investigated the claims against Gaetz and declined to press charges. Gaetz resigned from Congress after Trump nominated him, so his resignation brought an end to a congressional ethics investigation.
Bondi, a prosecutor in Hillsborough County, Florida, served as Florida’s 37th attorney general from 2011 to 2019. She was the first woman to serve in that role.
Bondi was one of Trump’s lawyers during his first impeachment trial in early 2020. Earlier this year she led the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute, the think tank started by veterans of the first Trump administration.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
