WASHINGTON — Pam Bondi, nominated by Donald Trump for the position of attorney general, aimed to alleviate concerns from Democratic senators during her confirmation hearing on Wednesday. She asserted that her Justice Department would abstain from pursuing political prosecutions but did not dismiss the possibility of investigating Trump’s opponents.
The confirmation hearing revealed significant anxieties among Democrats regarding Trump’s potential misuse of the Justice Department’s power for personal vendettas. They questioned whether Bondi could protect the department’s autonomy from presidential influence, especially given Trump’s previous attempts to enforce his interests. Republicans, on the other hand, applauded her nomination, viewing it as a shift away from what they perceive as a Justice Department overly aligned with liberal policies, which they believe had unjustly pursued Trump.
When asked by Senator Chris Coons from Delaware about a hypothetical scenario where DOJ prosecutors presented a well-founded case but the White House intervened to halt it, Bondi responded emphatically: “If I thought that would happen, I would not be sitting here today. That will not happen.” This exchange highlighted the dramatic implications that Bondi’s confirmation holds, particularly considering the pressure Trump exerted during his first term to shield allies from investigations, including dismissing the former FBI director who was scrutinizing his campaign.
Senator Dick Durbin, the leading Democrat on the committee, pressed Bondi to guarantee her willingness to refuse unethical requests from the president. He pointed out her previous role in defending Trump during his first impeachment trial. Throughout her testimony, Bondi, who previously served as Florida’s attorney general, emphasized her commitment to uphold justice impartially, asserting that the Constitution would guide her actions, not political motivations. When asked by Republican Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana if her approach would involve selecting individuals to prosecute before determining any potential crimes, she firmly replied, “Of course not.”
Nonetheless, many Democrats remained skeptical about her commitment to the rule of law due to her perceived loyalty to Trump. Her responses often echoed Trump’s campaign rhetoric, and she hesitated to openly reject some of his controversial statements. When given the opportunity by Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii to disavow Trump’s characterization of January 6th rioters, Bondi claimed she was “not familiar with that statement.” Furthermore, she refrained from discouraging Trump from issuing pardons for individuals involved in the insurrection and could only acknowledge the presidency of Joe Biden without directly stating that Trump lost in the 2020 election.
Bondi admitted she accepted the election results while hinting at possible fraud, referencing her role in advocating for Trump in Pennsylvania during the post-election period, where she claimed to have observed irregularities. Despite her remarks, the lack of evidence supporting widespread electoral fraud has been established. Bondi echoed Trump’s assertion that his legal challenges were politically motivated, claiming, “The Justice Department has been weaponized for years … They targeted Donald Trump.”
During a heated back-and-forth with Senator Adam Schiff, a frequent target of Trump’s criticism, she maintained that every case would undergo thorough, individual evaluation without political influence, marking it as a break from the previous administration’s practices. However, when Senator Schiff inquired about an investigation into Jack Smith, the special counsel handling Trump’s indictments, she did not provide a clear affirmation.
The investigations themselves have faced scrutiny from Attorney General Merrick Garland and Smith, both insisting that their decisions were purely legal and devoid of political bias. Smith’s report indicated that enough evidence existed to convict Trump for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results, but he chose not to proceed due to existing Justice Department protocols against indicting sitting presidents.
Throughout the hearing, Bondi positioned herself as an ally of Republican values, promising to advocate for gun rights, free speech, national security, and to address violent crime and terrorism. By the conclusion of the session, her confirmation seemed highly probable in the Republican-controlled Senate, with party members suggesting that the Democrats’ concerns regarding Trump’s nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, resonated more than their worries about Bondi.
Upon concluding her statement, Bondi declared, “If confirmed, I will restore confidence and integrity to the Department of Justice. The partisan weaponization of the DOJ will end. There must be one tier of justice for everyone.” Even as Democratic senators voiced their misgivings about the politicization of the Justice Department, Republican leaders argued that such issues had existed in the past and emphasized Bondi’s selection as a chance for reform. Senator Chuck Grassley, chair of the committee, highlighted a litany of grievances directed at the department during recent years, calling for accountability to ensure history does not repeat itself under her leadership.
