Even some Democrats in the Senate have warmed up to Pam Bondi, a lawyer who previously assisted Donald Trump in his attempt to rig the 2020 election, and she is now on course for a surprisingly clean confirmation as attorney general.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will begin her confirmation hearings on Wednesday and continue for two days; most people anticipate that her journey to head the Justice Department will be smooth. This is because past nominees have been implicated in more severe claims, and her predecessor, former Florida GOP Representative Matt Gaetz, was a very contentious choice for attorney general who was ultimately forced to resign.
Bondi has also gone on what appears to be a successful charm offensive with Democrats in the Senate, who are seeking common ground on issues like antitrust legislation and criminal justice reform.
Vermont Democrat and Senate Judiciary Committee member Peter Welch stated, “I had a good meeting with her.” She was quick to respond and spoke clearly. She has extensive expertise.
Since the incoming president has promised to seek revenge against his political opponents and fired attorneys general during his first term for refusing to submit to his orders, Democrats are terrified that a Trump supporter could head the Justice Department. As an example of a loyalist, Bondi defended Trump in his first impeachment hearing and helped counter President Joe Biden’s 2020 Pennsylvania triumph.
But Democrats have mostly determined that Bondi has the necessary qualifications to be the head of the FBI, the agency that would be tasked with carrying out Trump’s agenda for regulation and defending the president’s executive orders in court. Since Republicans control the Senate and Democrats cannot overturn a Trump nominee on their own, they have decided that discrediting Bondi in a protracted struggle is not worth it.
According to a senior Democratic Senate official who requested anonymity in order to discuss party strategy, the Democrats on the panel are anticipated to mostly target Trump personally rather than focusing on Bondi’s credentials, which include her time as attorney general of Florida.
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrat Chris Coons of Delaware stated, “There’s no question she has the relevant experience managing one of our nation’s largest state departments of justice.” Two terms as attorney general have been won by her. She was in charge of a massive office that the state attorney general oversees.
Trump nominated Pete Hegseth, a former National Guard officer and TV personality who has been plagued by accusations of drunken debauchery and sexual assault, to head the Department of Defense. Coons, who expressed his willingness to potentially vote to confirm her, compared Hegseth’s record to Bondi’s.
During her time as Florida’s attorney general (2011–2019), Bondi spearheaded efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and preserve the state’s prohibition on homosexual marriage. After her time in government ended, she became a lobbyist for the powerful K Street firm Ballard Partners and served as co-chair of the America First Policy Institute’s Center for Law and Justice, a think tank that has been preparing ideas for a Trump reelection.
When asked about Ms. Bondi’s ability to lead an impartial Justice Department that respects the rule of law, Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dick Durbin voiced his concerns during a Monday floor address.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a member of the Judiciary Committee, told reporters that he was seeking “an ironclad air-tight commitment to be the people’s lawyer, to put first and foremost the interests of the American people over loyalty or fealty to Donald Trump.” During the confirmation hearings, Democrats made it clear they will not let Bondi off the hook on this matter.
“Protecting kids online and curtailing Big Tech’s power” were two topics that Blumenthal and Bondi discussed in private, and Blumenthal expressed gratitude for the opportunity to do so.
Working together on criminal justice policy was one area that Coons brought up.
In light of Bondi’s backing for Trump’s allegations of a stolen election in 2020, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, reflected on why Democrats may be more forgiving toward her and thought the explanation was simple.
“[Trump’s] staggering electoral victory,” he remarked during an interview. “The president’s chosen cadre will be the ones to implement his program, and the people will desire this cadre if they desire change.”