President Donald Trump's dissatisfaction with Attorney General Pam Bondi has become increasingly apparent, as detailed in a recent Wall Street Journal report. Central to the president's concerns are a series of high-profile legal efforts that have not gone as planned, particularly prosecutions against figures Trump views as political foes, such as former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The report, published on Monday, also highlights Trump's endorsement of his Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, the "Ice Queen," who publicly criticized Bondi's handling of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a Vanity Fair cover story last month. Steve Bannon, a longtime political ally of Trump, conveyed to the newspaper that Bondi is losing favor with the president's base, expressing that they are "desperate for action" and have been disappointed by the lack of progress on investigations into the 2020 election and the 2016 Russia investigation, which Trump has consistently claimed was a Democratic effort to undermine his presidency.
In response to the report, the White House issued a defense of Bondi, with statements from Trump, Vice President, Wiles, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, all supporting her performance. Trump's statement to the Daily Mail praised Bondi, stating, "Pam is doing an excellent job. She has been my friend for many years. Tremendous progress is being made against radical left lunatics who are good at only one thing, cheating in elections and the crimes they commit."
The attorney general's role, which requires Senate confirmation and presidential appointment, has traditionally been one of independence from the White House. However, reports suggest that Trump has been pushing Bondi to reduce this separation, urging a more aggressive pursuit of his policy objectives and legal targets.
The indictments against Comey and James, secured by Lindsey Halligan, a former personal attorney for Trump who was named acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, were dismissed by a judge in November due to Halligan's improper installation. Despite this setback, Trump is reportedly encouraging the Justice Department to continue pursuing these cases and has discussed the possibility of appointing special counsels to expedite the department's work.
Adding to the controversy, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell confirmed that the Justice Department has opened an investigation into him. Powell, appointed by Trump during his first term, has faced criticism from the president for not reducing interest rates to stimulate economic growth.
The management of the Epstein documents has been a continuing political challenge for Trump since his return to office. During his 2024 campaign, Trump promised to release all files related to Epstein. Bondi drew criticism in February when she distributed binders to influencers containing previously available public documents, rather than new information. Wiles's comments to Vanity Fair expressed disappointment in Bondi's misjudgment of the situation.
Despite the bipartisan congressional push for the Epstein files' release, Trump has privately expressed his displeasure with Bondi's handling of the matter, though he has maintained cordial public appearances with her. The two attended the Kennedy Center Honors together last month, but Bondi was notably absent from Trump's Mar-a-Lago press conference earlier this month, which announced the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, despite the Justice Department's significant role in the operation.
Trump's repeated complaints to aides about Bondi's performance, described as weak and ineffective in enforcing his agenda, underscore the strain on their relationship as he pressures the DOJ to align more closely with his priorities.
