WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has been considering the removal of Attorney General Pam Bondi due to dissatisfaction with her performance in the role, according to reports from major news outlets Wednesday.
The president’s concerns reportedly center on what he perceives as insufficient aggressiveness in pursuing his political adversaries and issues with how she has managed the Jeffrey Epstein investigation documents, The New York Times reported.
According to the report, which cited four anonymous sources with knowledge of the discussions, Trump has considered replacing Bondi with Lee Zeldin, who currently serves as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator. CNN confirmed similar reporting about these internal conversations.
Neither the White House nor the Justice Department provided responses to requests for comment from Reuters regarding these reports.
When asked about the situation by The New York Times, Trump stated: “Attorney General Pam Bondi is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job.” A representative for Bondi pointed to the president’s statement when contacted by the newspaper.
Bondi accompanied the Republican president to the Supreme Court Wednesday during oral arguments for a case involving birthright citizenship.
Political observers note that Trump has abandoned traditional practices meant to keep federal law enforcement separate from political influence.
During his campaign, he promised retaliation following the numerous legal challenges he faced after his first presidency concluded in 2021. He has maintained his public criticism of those he considers opponents and has urged Bondi’s Justice Department to pursue criminal charges against them.
Following Trump’s return to office in January 2025, federal prosecutors have pursued cases against several high-profile figures including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook, and former national security adviser John Bolton.
White House officials have stated that Trump is fulfilling his campaign commitments to reform what he characterizes as a justice system “weaponized” by former Democratic President Joe Biden.
The Jeffrey Epstein investigation documents have created additional challenges for Bondi, with a congressional committee issuing a subpoena requiring her testimony in their related inquiry.
Bondi previously served as Florida’s state attorney general and defended Trump during his first impeachment proceedings while he was in his initial presidential term.
She became Trump’s second selection for the nation’s top law enforcement position after his initial nominee, former Representative Matt Gaetz, removed himself from consideration before the release of a congressional ethics investigation that determined he had purchased sex and drugs from women and obstructed congressional proceedings.
