Pam Bondi listens to Donald Trump as he gestures toward her slightly off camera — Credit: Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok

After defending President Donald Trump from accusations of pedophilia and sexual misconduct, and trying to save him from impeachment in his first term, Tampa native Pam Bondi is out as U.S. Attorney General.

Trump announced her firing on social media on Thursday. His former personal defense lawyer, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, will assume the position.

“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year,” Trump posted. “Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country.”

The 60-year-old faced scrutiny for her handling of the case surrounding the Epstein files and Trump’s appearance in them. And she’ll still have to appear for a scheduled deposition before the House Oversight Committee, for which she was subpoenaed last month.

It’s unclear if the Florida Bar will now investigate Bondi for alleged state ethics violations. In a five-sentence rejection last October, the Florida Supreme Court sided with the Florida Bar which said that the 70-odd legal experts lacked standing to ask a state-level organization to investigate federal officials.

Panel member Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) said in a statement that she has been “leading a White House cover-up of the Epstein files.”

“She has weaponized the Department of Justice to protect Donald Trump and put survivors in harm’s way by exposing their identities,” he wrote. “She will not escape accountability.”

A protester holds two signs, one with a picture of Pam Bondi that says "loves child molesters" and another that says "draft Barron First, deport Melania" — A No Kings protester in Tampa on March 28, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Less than a month ago, Trump ousted Kristi Noem as secretary of Homeland Security.

Bondi was brought on as U.S. attorney general at the start of Trump’s second term. She was Trump’s second choice after former Congress member Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who resigned from office in late 2024, hoping to take the job, but later withdrew due to a series of sexual misconduct allegations.

Before she was part of Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment trial, Bondi was elected Florida Attorney General in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 after 18 years as an assistant state attorney in Hillsborough County. She built a reputation for prosecuting high-profile cases and as a legal expert for Fox News.

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