'Won't be bullied by you': Trump's AG pick Pam Bondi defends her credentials at Senate confirmation hearing

The upcoming US Attorney General, Pam Bondi, fended off the onslaught she received from Democratic Senators  Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla during her confirmation hearing on Wednesday. During the hearing, Bondi told the lawmakers that she would continue to maintain the independence of the Justice Department from the White House as US President-elect Donald Trump gears up to take power.

At the confirmation hearing, Bondi walked a fine line between showcasing herself as a “nonpolitical prosecutor” and as a Trump loyalist. Many Democratic senators feared that she would find it challenging to resist the political pressure of Trump. Bondi made it clear that she would not allow the FBI to pursue Trump’s perceived enemies, as identified by FBI director nominee Kash Patel.

“I will meet with the White House counsel and appropriate officials and follow the contacts policy,” Bondi said, adding later that there would “never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice”. However, she repeatedly avoided claiming that Trump lost the 2020 US Presidential Election against current President Joe Biden.

What was the outcome of the hearing?

During the hearing, Bondi dodged giving her take on hypotheticals like what she would do if Trump asked her to use the justice department for his benefits. “I wouldn’t be attorney general if anyone asked me to do something improper and I felt I had to carry that out,” she averred when asked if she would resign if Trump asked her to do something illegal.

However, Bondi’s loyalty towards Trump raised concerns among the Senate. It is pertinent to note that during his first stint in the White House, Trump replaced his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, after he recused himself from the investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia. The Republican firebrand also soured on his last attorney general, William Barr, after he refused to endorse Trump’s false 2020 election claims.

After the hearing, the committee concluded that Bondi, the former Florida attorney general and longtime state prosecutor, was “sufficiently qualified and experienced to lead the department” in Trump’s second term. When asked what she would do if she is presented with a conflict of interest Bondi said: “I will consult with the career ethics officials within the Department of Justice and make the appropriate decision." However, she declined to say upfront if she would rescue herself or not.

Bondi was graduated in 1987 from the University of Florida. She earned her law degree in 1990 from Stetson University. She served as a county prosecutor in Florida before successfully running for Florida attorney general in 2010. Her frequent appearances on Fox News also helped boost her career.

With input from agencies.