Trump cabinet 2.0: President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday nominated former Florida Attorney General and loyalist Pam Bondi as his nominee for Attorney General of the US. The new nomination for the powerful position was made shortly after former Congressman Matt Gaetz revealed on Thursday that he would be withdrawing from the nomination process.
Gaetz was the subject of a House Ethics Committee probe into allegations of having sex with an underage 17-year-old girl and illicit drug use. He has denied wrongdoing.
Trump on Pam Bondi
Trump said in a statement said, "I am proud to announce former Attorney General of the Great State of Florida, Pam Bondi, as our next Attorney General of the United States." He noted that Bondi served as a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, during which she was "very tough on violent criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida families.”
"Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs and reduce the tragedy of Fentanyl overdose deaths, which have destroyed many families across our country," he said.
Trump praised Bondi for doing an "incredible" job. He alleged that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had been weaponised against him and other Republicans. "Not anymore," said the President-elect.
"Pam will refocus the DOJ on 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!" Trump said.
Who is Pam Bondi?
Bondi, 59, served as the top law enforcement officer in Florida from 2011 to 2019 and was also part of Trump's Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during his first term. She played a role in Trump's defense team during his first impeachment trial, where he was accused of pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden, by withholding military aid. Trump was ultimately acquitted by the Senate.
Most recently, Bondi led the legal division of the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank whose staff collaborated with Trump's campaign to help shape policies for his administration. Bondi’s background stands in contrast to Gaetz's, who lacks the traditional experience expected of an attorney general and was anticipated to face opposition from Senate Democrats and some Republicans.
Gaetz withdrew from nomination
Earlier in the day, Gaetz withdrew himself from the nomination after facing backlash from both the opposition and his own Republican Party Senators. He made the surprising announcement a day after he met with Senators on Capitol Hill.
“I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback - and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” he said.
“There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump's DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1,” Gaetz wrote in a post on social media.
Gaetz said he remains fully committed to seeing that Trump is the most successful President in history. “I will forever be honoured that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I'm certain he will Save America,” he said.
Trump accepted Gaetz's decision to withdraw. "I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect," he said.
"Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!" Trump added.
(With agencies input)
