ALBAWABA-U.S. President Donald Trump on April 2, 2026, removed Pam Bondi as attorney general, ending a contentious 14-month tenure marked by internal turmoil at the Department of Justice.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has been appointed interim attorney general as the administration considers a permanent replacement.
Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and longtime Trump ally, was confirmed in February 2025 after Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination. Her dismissal follows months of presidential frustration over the Justice Department’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related files and what Trump viewed as insufficiently aggressive investigations into political opponents.
Her tenure drew sustained criticism, including from segments of Trump’s base, over the management of Epstein-related disclosures. Early claims of a “client list” were not substantiated, while document releases were criticized as incomplete or politically filtered.
The controversy prompted a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee, a Democratic walkout from a March briefing, and growing congressional scrutiny over transparency and concerns about victim exposure.
Bondi’s leadership also coincided with broader upheaval within the Justice Department, including large-scale dismissals of career prosecutors, disputes with federal judges over interim U.S. attorney appointments, and efforts to consolidate control among political loyalists.
Blanche, 51, is a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York and served as Trump’s lead defense attorney in the 2024 New York hush-money trial.
Appointed deputy attorney general in 2025, he has played a central role in departmental operations, including oversight of Epstein-related matters and key personnel decisions. Blanche left private practice to represent Trump and is widely regarded within the administration as a trusted and strategic ally.
