Pam Bondi 'Whiffed' it: Trump Discusses Ousting AG Over Epstein Scandal

Kristi Noem looks set to have company in exiting Donald Trump's inner circle. A Wednesday report from The New York Times suggests that Attorney General Pam Bondi's tenure may be nearing its end.

The President has been quietly considering removing Bondi in favour of Lee Zeldin, who currently leads the EPA, according to several CNN sources. With high-stakes depositions looming, the move signals a potential rift within the administration's inner circle over how to manage a growing national scandal.

Growing Tensions Over the Epstein Files

Sources indicate that the outcry from supporters over how the government managed the Jeffrey Epstein records has left Trump seeking a successor for Bondi. This comes as she prepares to testify before Congress later this month regarding the probe into the deceased sex offender, while the President has reportedly grumbled about her failure to aggressively pursue his political rivals.

The New York Times reports that the President has also been unhappy with Bondi's speaking style and feels the department isn't being bold enough in pursuing his opponents. This frustration went public in September when Trump accidentally posted a message on Truth Social, meant for 'Pam', in which he criticised her for not bringing charges against people like James Comey and Letitia James.

Public Support vs Private Frustration

Insiders told CNN that the President hasn't yet reached a final decision. Bondi remained by Trump's side on Wednesday, joining his motorcade for the Supreme Court hearing on birthright citizenship and attending his evening speech regarding the conflict in Iran. In a statement to CNN, Trump offered his public backing, remarking that the Attorney General is a 'wonderful person' who is 'doing a good job.'

When asked for a response, the Justice Department pointed to comments from the White House. Meanwhile, an individual with knowledge of the situation informed CNN that Trump and Bondi have been in frequent contact recently, describing their talks as 'business as usual'.

Sources say the plan to switch Bondi for Zeldin was first mentioned in January, only to quieten down as the Epstein story fell out of the news. Some top DOJ officials thought they had finally moved past the year-long trouble with those files. However, talk that Trump wanted Zeldin to take over Bondi's role started moving through the West Wing again on Monday.

The Rise of Lee Zeldin as a Potential Successor

Zeldin isn't necessarily the definite pick to fill Bondi's shoes if she is let go. While Trump has brought up various names, one source told CNN that Zeldin is the one he mentions most frequently.

A lawyer and former serviceman, Zeldin served New York's 1st congressional district before moving to his current post at the EPA. Since his narrow defeat to Kathy Hochul in the 2022 race for governor, he has stayed in Trump's inner circle and was a frequent fixture at Mar-A-Lago during the 2024 run.

Internal Advocacy and the 'Whiffed' Records

Bondi has powerful friends in government, including Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff. Someone who knows about the talks said that whenever Trump started to lose faith in Bondi, Wiles would step in to support her. However, Wiles previously told a Vanity Fair reporter that the Attorney General had 'completely whiffed' in managing the Epstein records.

Notably, Bondi claimed during a February 2025 Fox News appearance that an Epstein client list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review,' but the department later insisted that no such list actually existed. Bondi has since clarified that she was referring to the general collection of investigative papers, such as flight logs, rather than a specific list of names.