President-elect Donald Trump has announced former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his nominee for U.S. Attorney General, following the withdrawal of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) earlier in the day. In a post on TruthSocial, Trump expressed confidence in Bondi’s qualifications and commitment to restoring the Department of Justice (DOJ) to its core mission of fighting crime.
“I am proud to announce former Attorney General of the Great State of Florida, Pam Bondi, as our next Attorney General of the United States,” Trump wrote. “Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on violent criminals and made the streets safe for Florida families. As Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked tirelessly to combat the trafficking of deadly drugs and address the opioid crisis, reducing fentanyl overdose deaths that have devastated many families.”
Trump continued by highlighting Bondi’s role during his first term, where she served on his Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission, a key initiative that, according to Trump, saved many lives. The president-elect also addressed what he perceives as the politicization of the DOJ under the Biden administration, stating that Bondi’s leadership will refocus the department on its intended purpose—fighting crime.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans,” Trump wrote. “Not anymore. Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting crime and Making America Safe Again. She is smart, tough, and an AMERICA FIRST fighter who will do a terrific job as Attorney General.”
Bondi, who served two terms as Florida’s attorney general starting in 2011, has a history of supporting Trump’s agenda. She also served as a legal advisor to his team during the 2020 impeachment trial and most recently worked with the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank. Trump’s endorsement of Bondi comes after Rep. Matt Gaetz’s unexpected withdrawal from the Attorney General race earlier in the day.
Gaetz, who had garnered support from nearly all Republican senators except Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and incoming Senator-elect John Curtis, cited the growing distraction surrounding his confirmation process as the reason for his withdrawal. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, so I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General.”
Bondi’s nomination now positions her to take the helm of the DOJ in the incoming administration, with an emphasis on combating crime and restoring what Trump describes as a fair, non-partisan approach to justice.