Democrats cheer Trump’s firing of Pam Bondi and attack Epstein files ‘cover-up’ | Pam Bondi
Democrats applauded Donald Trump’s firing of attorney general Pam Bondi on Thursday with jokes, memes and sarcasm, while the president’s Republican allies praised his relatively short tenure at the justice department.
Trump announced Bondi’s departure on Truth Social, saying: “We love Pam and she will be moving to a much-needed and important new job in the private sector, which will be announced in the near future.” Deputy Todd Blanche will take over as acting attorney general.
This was welcome news for Democrats, who have accused Bondi since her confirmation in February 2025 of destroying the justice department’s traditional independence from the White House and her lawyers of retaliating against Trump’s enemies.
“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” Democratic congresswoman Angie Craig wrote about X, expressing the typical sentiment felt by many in her party.
Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, predicted that defense secretary Pete Hegseth will be “next in line.”
Democratic congressman Marc Veasey tweeted a meme of Ice Cube: “Goodbye Felicia” From the 1995 film Friday, his colleague Chris Deluzio posted another meme from the animated sitcom The Critic, in which there is a theater showing the play Cats burns down and the protagonist says: “And nothing precious was lost.”
Other Democrats were worried about the damage Bondi was doing and what might happen next.
Sen. Chris Coons called Bondi’s performance “terrible” but cautioned: “Somehow her loyalty to Trump wasn’t enough. It’s concerning to hear that she might seek someone more subservient and willing to weaponize the justice system for personal, financial and political gain.”
“The DOJ is not a personal law firm, but Donald Trump appointed one of his former personal defense attorneys to lead the Department of Justice,” Democratic congressman Don Beyer said, referring to Blanche, the new acting attorney general who represented Trump in criminal cases against him during Joe Biden’s presidency.
“His blind loyalty to Trump is not a qualification for the job. He is absolutely unfit to lead the Department of Justice,” Beyer said.
Many other Democrats accused Bondi of mishandling the matter of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The former attorney general announced early in Trump’s second term that he had obtained a list of powerful people allegedly associated with Epstein, but months later he backtracked and declared the investigation closed. This flouted the conspiracy theories promoted by Trump and his followers and sparked such an intense backlash that Congress passed legislation to release the government’s files on Epstein over the president’s objections.
Robert Garcia, a top Democrat on the House oversight committee investigating the government’s handling of the Epstein files, said the commission subpoenaed Bondi for testimony before he was dismissed, and Bondi still must comply.
“Attorney General Pam Bondi is leading the White House cover-up of the Epstein files. She has weaponized the Justice Department to protect Donald Trump and endanger survivors by revealing their identities,” he said.
“He will not escape accountability and remains legally obligated to appear before our committee under oath. The disgraced financier’s accomplice must be held accountable for his mishandling of the Epstein files and the special treatment he accorded Ghislaine Maxwell.”
Democratic congressman Ro Khanna, a key figure in the legislative effort to release the documents, said: “Even if he is fired, he still needs to answer to Congress about the remaining documents, why there was no new investigation, and why he participated in a cover-up.”
Republicans generally offered well-wishes while avoiding discussing his policies.
“Pam Bondi is a great friend and one of the best lawyers I have ever met,” said Florida senator Rick Scott. “He did an incredible job as Florida’s attorney general when I was governor, and he was an incredible U.S. attorney.”
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said Bondi “did a great job for the people of our nation as attorney general, and she has been a great friend for a long time. I know Pam will continue to serve America in the private sector.”
During his tenure, Bondi became known for combative appearances before congressional committees, in which he personally attacked Democratic lawmakers with information read from a “burnt book.”
Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate judiciary committee that hosted her confirmation and heated oversight hearings, said: “Under her leadership, this justice department has been more responsive to my requests for congressional oversight than any previous administration I have worked with (Republican or Democratic), and I expect that reputation to continue under Bondi’s successor.”
The panel’s task will be to confirm Bondi’s permanent successor, and Grassley said: “The judiciary committee is prepared to put forward President Trump’s next nominee for attorney general.”
