President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Pam Bondi to serve as U.S. attorney general in his new administration.
Trump made the announcement on Thursday just hours after Matt Gaetz revealed he would be withdrawing from consideration for the position of attorney general.
In his announcement, the president-elect praised Bondi for her previous work on a Trump commission that focused on ending the opioid crisis and combatting drug addiction.
“I am proud to announce former Attorney General of the Great State of Florida, Pam Bondi, as our next Attorney General of the United States,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
He described her as “smart and tough,” saying she would, as the country’s chief federal law enforcement officer, help “refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose” and work to prosecute crime.
“Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on Violent Criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida Families. Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs, and reduce the tragedy of Fentanyl Overdose Deaths, which have destroyed many families across our Country. She did such an incredible job, that I asked her to serve on our Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during my first Term—We saved many lives!” Trump added.
Earlier in the day, both Republicans and Democrats reacted to Gaetz’s announcement on Thursday that he would be ending his bid for the role in President-elect Trump’s new administration.
“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz said in his announcement on X. The Florida Republican had met with senators the previous day in an effort to win their support.
“There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1,” he added.
Trump previously told reporters that he would not reconsider his choice for the role. On Thursday, the president-elect said he respects Gaetz’s decision to withdraw.
“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”
Vice President-elect JD Vance, who met with Republicans this week on Capitol Hill to shore up support for Trump’s pick, suggested that Gaetz made the decision for the sake of the incoming administration.
“I’m extremely grateful for the work Matt put into the nomination process,” Vance wrote in a statement on X. “He made his decision to withdraw entirely out of respect for President Trump’s administration. Matt is a patriot and I look forward to seeing what he does next.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) agreed with Trump, saying Gaetz has a “bright future.”
“I’ve worked closely with Matt for eight years. He is an America First fighter—dedicated to ending the weaponization of the Department of Justice which, after the abuses of the Biden-Harris Administration, needs serious reform,” Johnson wrote in a post on X.
On the other hand, Democrats said they will continue to push the House Ethics Committee to release its report.
“While I welcome the news that Matt Gaetz is withdrawing from consideration for Attorney General, it remains important that the Gaetz report be made available to the American people,” Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) said on X.
Meanwhile, Gaetz said he looks forward to the future and to continue the fight to save the country, possibly from a different role.