Why President Trump Fired Pam Bondi

Rumors have swirled for months about President Donald Trump firing Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi — and the president finally pulled the trigger Thursday.

Trump told Bondi Wednesday, before his big speech on Iran, that her time as AG was coming to an end. One White House official told the Daily Caller that there is no “bad blood” between the president and the AG, but that he was overall dissatisfied with her job performance.

The official added that the president had been mulling whether to fire Bondi or not for months as her mistakes added up.

Deputy AG Todd Blanche will take over in the interim, the president announced in a Truth Social post. While Blanche oversees the department, the White House official told the Caller the president is taking time to consider potential replacements, adding that there is no “urgency” to pick someone new.

But Trump was having conversations with replacements for Bondi even before he made the official announcement.

A source familiar with the situation told the Caller that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin was at the White House Tuesday to meet with Trump about wildfire response when the conversation about replacing Bondi was broached.

Since that conversation, the source told the Caller that the atmosphere within the EPA seemed different, as if people know that Zeldin might be leaving soon. Colleagues have started discussing it among themselves.

The source told the Caller that it “seems likely” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin will be tapped for the position. Dave Fotouhi, the Deputy EPA administrator, is a front-runner to replace Zeldin at his post.

The Daily Mail reported that Bondi was fired partly because Trump believed she had tipped off Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) intent to publicize documents concerning a probe into his alleged relationship with a Chinese spy. A White House official told the Caller the report was false.

“BULLSHIT,” a source familiar with Bondi’s firing texted the Caller.

Swalwell also denied that he had a heads up from anyone in the administration in a statement to Semafor.

Some reports indicated that Bondi was not prosecuting enough of those who Trump saw to be political enemies, causing him to fire the AG.

In August, Trump told the Caller that it “would not bother” him to see James Comey and John Brennan handcuffed live on TV.

“See, I wouldn’t have answered that question that way four years ago.  Do you understand that? I wouldn’t,” Trump told the Caller.

The comments came not long after Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard turned the Russiagate investigation over to the Department of Justice (DOJ). A grand jury has since been investigating.

U.S. President Donald Trump (C) sits with (L-R) U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Richard Grenell, outgoing President of The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, as he speaks during a lunch with the Trump Kennedy Center Board Members in the East Room of the White House on March 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Another alleged big misstep of Bondi’s was her handling of the Epstein Files.

Coming off the July 4 holiday weekend on Sunday night, Axios published a memo from the DOJ and FBI announcing that their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein found no evidence he maintained a “client list” or was murdered.

The move set off a months-long news cycle around the files, angering Trump’s base. Bondi had previously acknowledged that she was reviewing a “client list” during an interview on Fox News. She also gave a group of MAGA social media influencers a “Phase 1” binder of the Epstein files. (RELATED: Bondi Subpoenaed By GOP Oversight Chair Over Epstein Files)

Inside the administration, top officials were angry with Bondi’s handling of the files and how it ended up reflecting on them.

“You can arrest all the drug leaders and cartel leaders, but people want closure on this case, and the Attorney General must find a better way to reconcile that,” one official previously told the Caller about the handling of the Epstein Files.