President-elect Trump announces Pam Bondi as his new pick for US attorney general

President-elect Trump announced Thursday night that he is nominating former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as the next United States Attorney General.

Trump’s latest administration pick replaces Matt Gaetz, the former Florida representative and nominee for attorney general, who withdrew Thursday as Trump’s pick for attorney general after the “distraction” his nomination had caused over a whirlwind of allegations of paying minors women for sex.

“Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years where she was very tough on violent criminals and made the streets safe for Florida families,” Trump wrote in his announcement. “Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to end the deadly drug trade and reduce the tragedy of Fentanyl overdose deaths that have devastated so many families across our country. She did such an incredible job that I asked her to serving on our Opioid and Substance Abuse Commission in my first term — We saved many lives!

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Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi stands on stage in an empty Mellon Auditorium while speaking at the Republican National Convention on August 25, 2020 in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“For too long, the partisan Justice Department has been a weapon against me and other Republicans — no longer. Pam will refocus the DOJ on its intended purpose of fighting crime and making America safe again,” he continued. “I’ve known Pam for many years – she’s smart and tough and an AMERICA FIRST Fighter who will do a great job as Attorney General!”

Shortly after the announcement, Gaetz wrote on X that Bondi is “an excellent selection” for Trump’s attorney general.

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“Pam and I worked closely together when she was Florida’s attorney general and I was the statehouse criminal justice chairman,” Gaetz wrote. “She is a proven attorney, an inspirational leader and a champion for all Americans. She will bring needed reforms to the DOJ.”