Photo: MANDEL NGAN / AFP / Getty Images
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to serve as the next United States Attorney General. The announcement came after Matt Gaetz, Trump's initial pick, withdrew his nomination earlier in the day.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump praised Bondi, stating, "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, a longtime Trump ally, served as Florida's attorney general from 2011 to 2019. She also acted as one of Trump's defense attorneys during his first impeachment trial. More recently, she led the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute, a right-wing think tank aligned with Trump.
The nomination of Bondi as attorney general comes after Gaetz, a former Florida U.S. Representative, withdrew from consideration. Gaetz was under scrutiny due to a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of drug use and sex trafficking. Gaetz has vehemently denied all allegations.