President Donald Trump has announced another cabinet shakeup with the departure of Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Trump sent shockwaves through the beltway on April 2, 2026, when he announced that Bondi will soon be leaving his administration for “a much needed and important new job.” However, multiple media outlets reported that Bondi was actually fired by Trump.
Bondi has been a longtime Trump loyalist and a former member of the president’s legal team. Trump approached her for the Attorney General job when original candidate Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration in November 2024.
NBC News reported on April 2, 2026, that Trump had grown increasingly dissatisfied with Bondi’s performance in recent months. Bondi was chiefly responsible for overseeing the release of the Epstein Files, which Trump called a “distraction” in September 2025.
Bondi’s departure from the second Trump administration comes mere weeks after Kristi Noem was axed as Homeland Security Secretary in March.
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Keep scrolling for more on Bondi’s departure and what comes next.
Why Is Pam Bondi Leaving the Trump Administration?
President Donald Trump released a statement on April 2, 2006, claiming that Pam Bondi is leaving her role as Attorney General for a job in the private sector.
“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year,” Trump said in a statement. “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.”
Multiple media outlets offered another explanation, claiming that Trump fired Bondi during a phone call on April 1, 2026, after souring on her performance in recent months.
Us Weekly has reached out to the White House for clarification.
Who Is Replacing Pam Bondi as Attorney General?
The White House has confirmed that Todd Blanche, one of President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyers, will step up as Acting Attorney General on a temporary basis. NBC News reported on April 2, 2026, that Trump is considering nominating Lee Zeldin — the current administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and a former Republican congressman — as his nominee to become the next full-time Attorney General.
Following the announcement of Pam Bondi’s departure, Blanche tweeted, “Pam Bondi led this Department with strength and conviction and I’m grateful for her leadership and friendship.”
“Thank you to President Trump for the trust and the opportunity to serve as Acting Attorney General,” Blanche went on. “We will continue backing the blue, enforcing the law, and doing everything in our power to keep America safe.”
What Has Pam Bondi Said About Her Departure?
Pam Bondi announced on April 2, 2026, that she will spend the next month “working tirelessly to transition the office of Attorney General to the amazing Todd Blanche.”
“[I am] moving to an important private sector role I am thrilled about, and where I will continue fighting for President Trump and this Administration,” Bondi tweeted. “Leading President Trump’s historic and highly successful efforts to make America safer and more secure has been the honor of a lifetime, and easily the most consequential first year of the Department of Justice in American history.”
She continued, “Since February 2025, we have secured the lowest murder rate in 125 years, secured first-ever terrorism convictions against members of Antifa, shattered domestic and transnational gangs across the country, taken custody of more than 90 key cartel figures, and won 24 favorable rulings at the Supreme Court. I remain eternally grateful for the trust that President Trump placed in me to Make America Safe Again.”
