Donald Trump (R) announced on Nov. 21, 2024, that he had selected former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) as his nominee for U.S. attorney general in his second presidential term. In a statement, Trump said, “For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore. Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again. I have known Pam for many years — She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”
Bondi currently serves as a co-chair of Trump’s inauguration committee. Before holding elected office, Bondi worked as a prosecutor and assistant state attorney in Florida. She served as Florida attorney general from 2011 to 2019. Her professional experience includes working as one of Trump’s lawyers during his first impeachment trial, and working at the America First Policy Institute, a non-profit founded by former Trump advisors.
Bondi is Trump’s second nominee for attorney general. His first nominee, Matt Gaetz, withdrew himself from consideration on Nov. 21. Gaetz was first nominated on Nov. 13, making his nomination the third-shortest withdrawn Cabinet nomination ever according to reporting from Politico. Gaetz’s withdrawal from consideration as U.S. attorney general marks the seventh presidential transition in a row where a president has had at least one nominee withdrawn or rejected by the U.S. Senate before the end of their second month in office.
Gaetz was nominated as attorney general eight days after election day, the fastest announcement for an attorney general across the last four presidential nominations. In 2016, Trump announced his attorney general nominee ten days after election day. Bondi was nominated as attorney general 16 days after election day. Joe Biden (D) and Barack Obama (D) nominated their attorneys general 65 and 27 days after election day, respectively.
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