President Donald Trump has ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi from her position at the Department of Justice.

Trump announced the move on Thursday, April 2, 2026, stating that Bondi would transition to a new role in the private sector. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as acting attorney general in the interim.

 

The departure comes after weeks of private discussions in which Trump expressed frustration with Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and other matters. Multiple sources reported that Trump had considered replacing her with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, though Blanche was named acting AG.

In a statement shared on Truth Social on April 2, Trump said: “Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year. Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900. We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future, and our Deputy Attorney General, and a very talented and respected Legal Mind, Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General.”

Bondi was confirmed as the 87th Attorney General on February 4, 2025, by a Senate vote of 54-46. She had previously served as Florida Attorney General from 2011 to 2019. Her tenure at the DOJ included significant personnel changes, efforts to address what the administration described as the weaponization of the department, and oversight of high-profile matters, including the delayed release of Epstein-related documents.

Recent backlash centered on the slow release of Epstein files, with Bondi facing a congressional deposition later this month. The deposition on April 14 remains scheduled unless withdrawn following today’s events.

No official reason was given beyond the President’s public praise for her service and crime-reduction efforts during her approximately 14 months in office.

The Justice Department has not yet issued a separate statement on the change. The move marks the latest shift in the administration’s leadership team as it approaches the midway point of its term.