Pam Bondi is confirmed as attorney general by the US Senate in a divided vote

The US Senate, which is heavily split along party lines, voted 54-46 to confirm Pam Bondi as attorney general.

In an appointment of a strong supporter of President Donald Trump to head a Justice Department already rocked by the dismissals of career officials judged to be disloyal to the president, the US Senate approved Pam Bondi as attorney general on Tuesday.

Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to join Republicans in confirming the nominee by a vote of 54-46, which was mainly split along party lines.

Bondi, a longtime corporate lobbyist and Florida attorney general, is anticipated to make major changes at the Justice Department, which Trump has frequently criticized because of the investigations that resulted in his two charges. Her appointment coincides with internal disarray at the FBI, which she will lead, as the organization is under fire for how it has handled Trump-related investigations.

Bondi was praised by Republicans as a strong leader who could bring the department back to its primary goal. “Pam Bondi has pledged to return the department to its fundamental purpose: prosecuting criminals and safeguarding Americans from dangers to their safety and liberties,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

But because of her tight relationship with Trump, Bondi has come under a lot of criticism. During his administration, Trump drove out an attorney general who recused himself from the Russia investigation into Trump’s 2016 campaign and fired an FBI director who refused to swear allegiance to him.

Bondi made an effort to reassure Democrats during her confirmation hearing that politics would not affect her choices, but she refrained from completely ruling out any probes of Trump’s rivals.

“They targeted Donald Trump,” she added, echoing Trump’s assertions that the Justice Department had been “weaponized” against him. They began focusing on his campaign in 2016. Numerous investigations have been started against him. “If I am attorney general, I will not politicize that office,” she continued.

“That clearly is a loyalty oath to him as opposed to a demand for straightforward, candid advice, including if the president is asking for something to be done like the prosecution of a political adversary,” said Vermont Democratic Senator Peter Welch, who voiced concerns about Bondi’s loyalty to Trump.

Bondi’s confirmation coincided with a lawsuit filed by FBI agents against the Justice Department for attempting to create a list of staff members implicated in the January 6 prosecutions, out of concern that this may result in widespread terminations. Trump has earlier called the instances a “grave national injustice,” and the interim FBI director was recently directed by interim Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove to submit information on the staff members involved.

Under the Trump administration, Bondi’s predecessors at the Justice Department have also been under pressure; in recent months, members of the DC US attorney’s office, top FBI officials, and prosecutors for special counsel Jack Smith were fired.

Although Bondi promised that the people, not the president, would be her client, her statements frequently echoed those of Trump. In a 2023 Fox News interview, she stated, “The investigators will be investigated,” implying that she would look into “bad” Justice Department prosecutors.

After his first choice, former Representative Matt Gaetz, was rejected because he did not have enough Republican support, Trump selected Bondi as his attorney general nomination.

Trump, who has long aimed to restructure the Justice Department to fit his vision, views Bondi’s confirmation as a win. Her nomination is a harbinger of more conflicts as the department struggles to remain independent in the face of political pressure.