Trump fires Pam Bondi, Hegseth the army chief
The former presidential loyalist pays for the criticism she received from many quarters over the way the Epstein files were published
President Trump has removed Pam Bondi from the position of attorney general. This was reported to CNN by a source with knowledge of the facts. The source pointed out that, for the time being, Bondi will be replaced at the head of the Justice Department by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal attorney.
According to various US media, Trump had been discussing with his allies the possibility of firing Bondi over the past few days, and on Wednesday he spoke to her personally. In the course of the conversation - which one source described as 'tough' - Trump implied that Bondi's tenure would be short-lived and that he would replace her in the near future.
On Thursday evening, moreover, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth asked the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Randy George, to resign and immediately retire from service. Cbs News reports this, citing informed sources who say that Hegseth intends to hand over the role to a figure capable of implementing Donald Trump's vision for the military. General George was part of Joe Biden's administration during which he served as Senior Military Assistant to Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin between 2021 and 2022. A career infantry officer and West Point graduate, George served first in the first Gulf War and later in the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Chief of Staff of the Army typically serves a four-year term, the general had been reappointed by the Senate in 2023, meaning that under normal circumstances he would hold the position until 2027.
From loyal to fired
Bondi was a staunch supporter of Trump's agenda and dismantled the Justice Department's long-standing tradition of independence from the White House in its investigations. However, it was the repeated criticism of the Epstein files, also coming from Trump allies and some Republican Congressmen, that dominated her tenure. Bondi has been accused of burying or mismanaging the release of documents relating to the Justice Department's investigation into the sex trafficking of Epstein, a financier who had close ties to a host of rich and powerful figures. The issue created political headaches for Trump and reignited the debate over his past friendship with Epstein, which he has always claimed ended decades ago. His removal could lead to a reshuffling of Justice Department strategies and potentially a renewed push to use the US justice system against Trump's targets.
Bondi after Noem
Bondi is the second senior Trump official to be removed from office recently. Trump had in fact removed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on 5 March, following criticism of her handling of the agency and Trump's immigration policy.
