Pam Bondi’s firing won’t have the effect Trump desires | Moira Donegan

Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday after 14 months leading the Justice Department, reportedly frustrated with the pace of her prosecutions of his political enemies and her inability to resolve the Epstein scandal controversy. The move comes as Trump has been unusually reluctant to dismiss cabinet members during his second term, making this a notable departure from that pattern. Bondi's ouster appears designed to distance the administration from liabilities tied to the Epstein matter, though columnist Moira Donegan argues the firing is likely to have the opposite effect by drawing further attention to that association. Trump had grown dissatisfied with Bondi's performance across multiple fronts, including her televised appearances and the outcomes of key prosecutions. The firing marks the first significant cabinet turnover since Trump returned to office in January 2025.