US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated veteran prosecutor Pam Bondi as his new pick for attorney general, hours after Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration.
Bondi has a long track record in law enforcement and previously served as Florida’s attorney general.
Bondi has been close to Trump since his 2016 campaign, telling voters at a recent Trump rally that she considers him a “friend”.
She continued to be part of Trump’s legal team in 2020 as it made false claims that the election had been stolen from Trump due to voter fraud.
It is unclear if Gaetz, who resigned his House seat soon after Trump tapped him for attorney general, will now try to retain his seat.
Just hours after Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration, US President-elect Donald Trump announced that veteran prosecutor Pam Bondi would be his new choice for attorney general.
Bondi, who was previously Florida’s attorney general, has a long history in law enforcement.
A longtime Trump supporter, Bondi served on his legal team during his first Senate impeachment trial and openly backed him by attending his New York hush money trial.
During his announcement on social media, Trump stated, “Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on Violent Criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida Families.”.
Bondi, who has known Trump since his 2016 campaign, says she views him as a “friend” to the crowd at a recent Trump rally.
As his legal advisor and defense lawyer during his initial impeachment, in which he was acquitted, she joined his White House in 2019 to concentrate on “proactive impeachment messaging.”.
In 2020, she remained a member of Trump’s legal team, which falsely claimed that voter fraud had stolen the election from Trump.
Additionally, she was a member of Trump’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission. More recently, she has led the legal division of the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank that was started by former Trump employees.
Eight crazy days that marked Matt Gaetz’s rise and fall.
Bondi will be the nation’s top law enforcement official, overseeing the justice department’s more than 115,000 staff and approximately $45 billion (£35.7 billion) budget, if the Senate confirms his appointment.
Additionally, she would be crucial in trying to carry out Trump’s promise to punish his political rivals after he assumes office.
In addition to special counsel Jack Smith, who charged Trump in two federal cases, she has been an outspoken opponent of the criminal cases against Trump.
Trump wrote on Thursday night, “The partisan Department of Justice has been used as a weapon against me and other Republicans for far too long. That is no longer the case.”.
“Pam will bring the Department of Justice back to its original mission of combating crime and restoring America’s safety. “.”.
Trump also plans to dismantle criminal organizations, protect US borders, end “weaponized government,” and rebuild Americans’ “badly-shattered faith and confidence” in the department.
Bondi’s nomination path will hopefully be less turbulent than Gaetz’s, which is what Trump’s transition team will be hoping for.
According to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who responded to the news, Bondi “will be confirmed quickly.” She described her selection as a “grand slam, touchdown, hole in one, ace, hat trick, slam dunk, Olympic gold medal pick.”. “”.
After days of deliberation over whether to release a congressional report on the sexual misconduct allegations against him, Gaetz announced he would not run for the prominent cabinet position. The news of Bondi’s nomination came approximately six hours later.
In a statement announcing his withdrawal, the 41-year-old claimed that the debate surrounding his possible nomination “was unfairly becoming a distraction” from the work of the Trump administration.
The investigation’s conclusions, which were prompted by claims of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, were included in the report. Despite his strong denial of the allegations, Gaetz stated that he hoped to pull out of the “needlessly protracted Washington scuffle” by doing so.
Gaetz later congratulated Bondi, describing her as “a stellar selection by President Trump” on Thursday.
She is an accomplished litigator, a motivating leader, and an advocate for all Americans. He stated, “She will bring the necessary reforms to DOJ.”.
Gaetz resigned his House seat shortly after Trump appointed him attorney general, so it’s unclear if he will now attempt to keep his seat.
Trump has appointed a number of close allies to senior positions in his administration since his overwhelming election victory earlier this month.
