Now that he’s proven his loyalty to cabinet appointees only goes so far, Donald Trump could be on the verge of ousting yet another key member of his administration.
After kicking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to the curb this week, Trump is getting plenty of negative feedback from members of his own party regarding Attorney General Pam Bondi, who could be the next top official to get the axe, according to Politico.
“Bondi is under intense scrutiny for her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. As many as 20 Republicans might be prepared to back an effort to render punishment against the nation’s top prosecutor for slow-walking the materials’ release, according to the Democrat helping lead the charge. And five Republicans joined with Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Wednesday to subpoena her testimony.”
Even longtime Trump loyalist Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) seems uncertain if Bondi can hang on to her post at the Justice Department, responding “I don’t know” when asked if the AG still has the support of House Republicans.
“I just think it’s time to get some answers,” he added. “She’s in the batter’s box. I’d say … let her hit.”
One of the main bones of contention for both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill is the fact that Bondi and the DOJ have yet to fully comply with legislation demanding the release of all government files regarding the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who was a close personal friend of Trump for decades and also had connections to others in the administration, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“Under Bondi’s leadership, the DOJ ultimately blew past the statutory deadline to comply with the new law. Officials later claimed the department had fulfilled all its obligations, despite withholding case files and making redactions that appeared to go beyond the scope of what the bill permitted.
“I’m not impressed with Bondi on the Epstein files, and I’ll make that abundantly clear when I depose her whenever that day comes,” said (GOP Rep. Nancy) Mace, who brought the motion in the Oversight hearing Wednesday to subpoena the attorney general. “She’s lost a lot of support among the base [and] up here as well.”
Bondi could also be facing charges of inherent contempt, according to Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who noted, “20 Republicans … may be open to a contempt filing if she doesn’t release more files … I do believe she’s in trouble.”
Another factor that could lead Trump to give Bondi the boot is the upcoming midterm elections, which are expected to be a bloodbath for Republicans and could set the stage for a Democratic takeover of Congress. If that happens, Trump is likely to be impeached for the third time, and if the Democratic majority is large enough, the president could be removed from office.
If Bondi has any chance of remaining as the chief of DOJ, she’d better tone down her hateful rhetoric when she appears before committees in the days ahead. Otherwise, she could soon be looking for another job and facing criminal charges, too.
