ToplineAttorney General Pam Bondi is out at the Department of Justice, President Donald Trump announced Thursday, marking the second high-profile firing of a Trump Cabinet member in a matter of weeks after Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files dogged her tenure. WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 18: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi answers questions from the media at the United States Capitol on March 18, 2026 in Washington, DC. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche provided members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform a private briefing on Wednesday evening. (Photo by Matt McClain/Getty Images)Getty ImagesKey FactsTrump fired Pam Bondi, multiple outlets reported shortly before Trump announced on Truth Social she would take a job in the private sector, though he praised her as a “Great American Patriot and a loyal friend.”Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will reportedly replace Bondi in the interim.Bondi said in a post on X she would work with the agency for the next month to transition Blanche into the role, adding she is “thrilled” about her new private sector job where she will “continue fighting for President Trump and this administration.”Bondi’s exit was widely expected after multiple outlets reported this week Trump was considering firing her over his dissatisfaction with her handling of the Epstein files, among other issues.He is reportedly considering replacing Bondi on a permanent basis with Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin.Bondi’s firing comes after Trump removed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, effective April 1, and replaced her with former Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla.Chief CriticRep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said Bondi “handled the Epstein files in a terrible manner and seriously undermined President Trump,” in a post on X shortly after Bondi was fired. “She has stonewalled every effort to hold the guilty accountable.” Mace told Axios the House Oversight Committee subpoena she introduced calling for Bondi to testify about the agency’s handling of the Epstein files still stands, though Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the committee chair who voted against the subpoena, said he would discuss with other Republicans on the committee how to move forward. In addition to Mace, four other Republicans on the committee voted in favor of the subpoena. The deposition was scheduled for April 14.Surprising FactTrump defended Bondi amid the reports she would be fired, telling multiple outlets, “Attorney General Pam Bondi is a wonderful person, and she is doing a good job.”Key BackgroundBondi faced bipartisan criticism over the administration’s handling of the Epstein files last year, including some calls from prominent MAGA figures for her to resign. Comments Bondi made suggesting she had the so-called Epstein list of clients on her desk for review were heavily scrutinized after the Justice Department ultimately said no such list exists and retreated on Trump’s campaign promises to release the files in full. Congress forced their release in passing a law last year requiring them to be made public. Democrats, however, have continued to criticize the Justice Department for failing to release all of the files by the deadline according to the law and for making heavy redactions, some of which it’s reversed. Separate from the Epstein files, Trump also publicly expressed his frustration that the Justice Department hadn’t done enough to go after his political enemies. In a Truth Social post addressed to “Pam” in September, he said, “nothing is being done,” and ranted that former FBI Director James Comey, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and New York Attorney General Letitia James hadn’t been indicted (James and Comey were indicted weeks later, but their cases were ultimately tossed by federal judges).TangentBondi, former Florida attorney general, was Trump’s second pick to lead the DOJ. His initial choice, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrew from the process and resigned from Congress after new accusations of sexual misconduct emerged. Further ReadingBondi Unleashes On Democrats During Hostile House Hearing: 'I'm Not Going To Get In The Gutter' (Forbes)Pam Bondi Under Fire From MAGA —Megyn Kelly, Laura Loomer And More—Over Epstein Probe (Forbes)Tucker Carlson Blasts Pam Bondi For ‘A Bunch Of Ludicrous Claims’ About Epstein Files—As Backlash Mounts (Forbes)