Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi testifies earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee on October 7, 2025.
(Win McNamee / Getty Photos))
It has been laborious to look away from the violent, menacing ICE crackdown in Chicago, which is hastening the nation to a showdown with Donald Trump’s lawlessness. However the president’s contempt for the legislation additionally performed out in entrance of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, the place Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi repeatedly defied Senate Democrats’ makes an attempt to ask her fundamental questions concerning the operations of her workplace.
Bondi’s efficiency was of a chunk with comparable showdowns between Well being and Human Providers director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FBI director Kash Patel and Senate Democrats—obstructive, obnoxious, at instances insulting. However Bondi was probably the most contemptuous of all. Individuals kvetch about what the Democrats ought to be doing, however I noticed Judiciary Democrats ready with good strong questions, and Bondi shutting them down with a smile and a sneer.
It began with the very first Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin, who requested Bondi who had ordered the FBI to flag any mentions of Trump within the Epstein information. “I’m not going to debate something about that with you, senator,” she replied. Her most obnoxious line to Durbin: “I want you liked Chicago as a lot as you hate Trump.” That set the tone of the day. She used the road later, subbing in California, whereas taunting California Senator Alex Padilla. She tweaked Senator Richard Blumenthal a couple of long-ago “controversy” the place he appeared to say he served in Vietnam; though he served through the struggle, he was by no means in Vietnam.
When Senator Sheldon Whitehouse pressed her on releasing the Epstein information, she insisted Whitehouse had gotten marketing campaign contributions from an Epstein affiliate, Reid Hoffman. Whitehouse later informed CNN: “Her suggestion that I had obtained marketing campaign contributions from this alleged Epstein shut confidante merely isn’t true. All they needed to do was go and take a look at my public marketing campaign finance studies and see that this particular person seems on them nowhere.” She accused Senator Mazie Hirono of attending an illustration with alleged “antifa” members. The Hawaii senator laughed on the notion.
Senator Adam Schiff listed 11 questions that Bondi had refused to reply, from whether or not border czar Tom Homan saved the $50,000 he allegedly nabbed in an FBI sting operation (she deflected all questions on Homan’s conduct), whether or not Bondi mentioned indicting former FBI director James Comey with Trump, Trump’s outrageous demand on Reality Social that she prosecute Comey, Lawyer Basic Letitia James, and Schiff himself, and whether or not she fired profession prosecutors for engaged on investigations associated to January 6. Bondi loudly talked over Schiff, yelling zingers like “Will you apologize to Donald Trump for making an attempt to question him after you now know that Joe Biden tried to cowl up Hunter Biden’s involvement with Ukraine?”
Bondi tossed her hair, smiled, and smirked as Senate Democrats spoke, however was deferential towards Senate Republicans. In one other period, there might need been some bipartisan chagrin at Bondi’s apparent contempt for his or her committee. However the fact is, Senate Republicans have little energy themselves; all of it derives from Donald Trump.
Present Problem
Democrats could also be powerless in opposition to her for now, besides, Bondi might need gone too far. Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst launched close-up photographs exhibiting that Bondi got here ready with a folder of social media posts and bullet-pointed insults. She got here off as petty, vindictive and completely able to enacting Trump’s promise to weaponize the federal government in opposition to his enemies. And that’s clearly not an excellent look. Bondi had been the least widespread Trump cupboard member in public polls, till she was overtaken last month by RFK Jr. Her efficiency on Tuesday didn’t doubtless win over any skeptics.
