Second Time the Charm? Bondi Gets AG Nod

Now this choice seems inspired — and perhaps a cut above some of the other contenders still left in the mix. 

After Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination for Attorney General, speculation swirled about Trump’s second choice. Trump selected someone with plenty of appeal to the MAGA base, but with more experience at the position and far less baggage. Pam Bondi will go to Washington:

🚨NEW FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP!

Congratulations, @PamBondi! pic.twitter.com/WmEwkwUR5R

— Karoline Leavitt (@karolineleavitt) November 21, 2024

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. Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on Violent Criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida Families. Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs, and reduce the tragedy of Fentanyl Overdose Deaths, which have destroyed many families across our Country. She did such an incredible job, that I asked her to serve on our Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during my first Term — We saved many lives!

For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore. Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again. I have known Pam for many years — She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!

This is a smart choice, and so smart in fact that one has to wonder why Trump didn’t choose Bondi in the first place. Bondi’s resumé fits the job far better than Gaetz’, especially with her long work on prosecutions and as a state-level Attorney General with a track record of success. 

That’s especially true given her close work with Trump, and not just on the fentanyl plague. Bondi defended Trump in his first impeachment trial, a move that definitely put a political target on her back, so Trump knows he can rely on her loyalty. She ran the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute, so Trump knows her policy preferences are aligned with his. Bondi has extensive experience in media relations, too. I had forgotten her guest-hosting gig for three days on The Five in 2018 while Florida AG, an appearance that prompted a short-lived ethics probe that went nowhere.

Bondi has also been a lightning rod, as was Gaetz, but not on personal scandals. No one whom Trump would appoint to a Cabinet office would lack that kind of a track record, and Trump wants fighters rather than establishment operators. One of the flashpoints had to do with a Trump donation to Bondi’s PAC in 2013, so expect to hear more about that in the days ahead, but that will look rather tame after the Gaetz nomination. Bondi also made allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, but again, Trump made far more controversial claims and still won a resounding victory two weeks ago. The expiration date on the outrage over the 2020 fight arrived on November 5th, but Senate Democrats will resurrect it nonetheless. 

Apart from that, this choice is inspired and will likely boost enthusiasm among Senate Republicans. That may not have been true for current Texas AG Ken Paxton, who might have been attempting to audition today but has legal baggage of his own:

BREAKING:

“Attorney General Paxton Urges Court to Pre­vent Jack Smith from Destroy­ing Records Detail­ing Base­less Pros­e­cu­tion of Pres­i­dent Trump After Paper Shred­ding Truck Seen Out­side DOJ”

The American people demand transparency and I will do everything in my power… https://t.co/3vCtdfIA6c

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) November 21, 2024

Other names that got floated were Matt Whitaker, who would have made a fine AG, as well as Mark Paoletta, who’s running this part of the transition for Trump. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee have been mentioned, and The Independent took a few more names from a planning document prepared by Paoletta’s team:

The list includes Jeffrey Clark, who is among the president-elect’s criminally charged co-defendants in a sprawling election inference case in Georgia and an unindicted co-conspirator in the federal prosecution of the former president for his efforts to overturn election results.

Clark, who previously served as assistant attorney general in Trump’s first administration, also worked at a right-wing think tank founded by Russell Vought, among the authors of Project 2025 and Trump’s pick for the next director of the Office of Management and Budget.

The transition document also names District Judge Aileen Cannon, who dismissed Trump’s federal criminal case involving his possession of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Cannon was nominated to the judiciary in 2020.

Bondi makes more sense than any of these, and a lot more sense than Cannon, who probably wouldn’t want that kind of attention. 

The quick turnaround on filling the slot after Gaetz’ withdrawal is as smart as the choice itself. Dragging this out over several days would have only created more distractions for Trump. It puts him back into a more serious position on Cabinet appointments without losing one ounce of the anti-establishment force of his new team. In fact, Bondi may have strengthened that quality in the new Cabinet, especially as she will be far more prepared to hit the ground running after confirmation.