Trump’s attorney general nominee Pam Bondi will testify before the Judiciary Committee
The election of President-elect Donald Trump state attorney in his new administration faces the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday morning for a confirmation hearing.
Trump chose the former Attorney General of Florida Pam Bondi lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) in late November after former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrew from consideration.
Wednesday’s hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. and Bondi will be questioned by Republican and Democratic members of the committee.
President-elect Donald Trump and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (Getty Images)
“I hope the Democrats will also… decently consider it [her] which the republicans did [Attorney General Merrick] Garland,” Speaker Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital before the hearing.
“[A]I hope people stay within their time frame because we have to move forward,” he added.
Committee members include Grassley and Republican Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, John Cornyn of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Eric Schmitt from Missouri, Katie Britt from Alabama and Mike Crapo from Idaho.
The committee also includes Rep. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as well as Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Chris Coons of Delaware, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Alex Padilla of California, Peter Welch of Vermont and Adam Schiff of California.
Durbin met with Bondi last week, but came away from their conversation with remaining concerns.
“At today’s meeting, I raised concerns with Ms. Bondi about her record — one in which she served as President-elect Trump’s personal attorney, spearheaded the effort to overturn the 2020 election, and echoed the President-elect’s calls for the prosecution of his political opponent, Ms. Bondi has a long history of opposing fundamental civil rights, including reproductive rights, voting rights, and LGBTQ+ rights,” he said in statement.
SCHUMER GATHERS KEY COMMITTEE DEMS TO DEBATE HANGING HEGSETH CONFIRMATION HEARING
Durbin raised lingering concerns about Bondi. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein/File)
“The role of the Attorney General is to oversee an independent Department of Justice that upholds the rule of law and is free from undue political influence. Given Ms. Bondi’s responses to my questions, I remain concerned about her ability to serve as an Attorney General who will take the oath of office to the Constitution ahead of his loyalty to Donald Trump,” he added.
The senior member is likely to question Bondi during the hearing on these same topics.
On Monday, Durbin outlined several concerns he has about Trump’s election.
“Ms. Bondi’s obvious concern is whether she will follow the bipartisan tradition of the post-Watergate era and oversee an independent Justice Department that supports the rule of law. Ms. Bondi is one of four personal lawyers to President-elect Trump who he has already selected for Justice Department positions. She has been a leader in the effort to cancel the 2020 elections[-elect]calls for the prosecution of his political opponents, and she has a troubling history of unwavering loyalty to the president-elect,” he said in a speech.
MEET LEADER JOHN THUNE’S ALL-STAR CABINET AS REPUBLICANS TAKE SENATE MAJORITY
Bondi is a former Florida attorney general. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images/File)
The attorney general hopeful met with Grassley in early December, after which he said in a statement: “Pam Bondi is a well-qualified candidate with an impressive legal career, including eight years as Florida attorney general and nearly two decades as a prosecutor, Bondi is ready focus the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) attention where it should be: on enforcing the law and protecting the safety of Americans.”
The Chief Justice promised that the committee would “move quickly to consider her nomination when the 119th Congress convenes in January.”
SCHUMER INSTRUCTS DEMS TO PUT PRESSURE ON TRUMP’S NOMINEE BEFORE CONFIRMATION HEARING
Grassley brought back the Gavel of Justice in 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Trump praised Bondi in an announcement in November, writing in part, “For too long the partisan Justice Department has been armed against me and other Republicans — not anymore.”
“Pam will refocus the DOJ on its intended purpose of fighting crime and making America safe again,” he continued. “I’ve known Pam for many years – she’s smart and tough, and an AMERICAN FIRST fighter, who will do a great job as Attorney General!”
Since Trump’s election, Bondi has received several influential endorsements. Recently, 60 former Democrat and Republican state attorneys invited senators to confirm her in a letter. Furthermore, dozens former employees of the Ministry of Justice called on the Judiciary Committee last week, urging them to confirm Trump’s nomination.
