Pam Bondi, who had served as attorney general during Pres. Donald Trumpās second administration, was fired by Trump in April 2026. Trump had become increasingly frustrated with Bondiās running of the Department of Justice during her 14-month tenure. At the presidentās insistence her department had sought indictments against some of the presidentās rivals, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and U.S. Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin. In each case, grand juries refused to return indictments, which is very unusual.
It was Bondiās handling of the Epstein files, however, that drew the greatest amount of criticism ā from Democrats, fellow Republicans, and ultimately the president. In a February appearance before Congress, Bondi refused to apologize to, or even look at, survivors of Jeffrey Epsteinās abuse present in the chamber. Trump announced that Bondiās former deputy and Trumpās former personal attorney Todd Blanche would become Acting Attorney General.