Who Is Pam Bondi? Trump’s Second Choice For Attorney General After Matt Gaetz's Withdrawal

Pam Bondi played a key role on Trump’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during his first term and acted as a campaign surrogate in this year’s presidential race.

Picture source: X/@PamBondi

Donald Trump Administration: US President-elect Donald Trump, who is currently busy assembling his dream team for his second term in the White House, faced a significant setback on Tuesday when his first choice for the post of US Attorney General, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name. However, undeterred, Trump promptly tapped Pam Bondi, the former Attorney General of Florida, to fill the role. 

According to Trump, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s nomination was creating ‘distractions for the administration.’ Gaetz is being investigated in a federal sex trafficking case. 

Reflecting on his decision, Matt Gaetz said, “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.” 

“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," Gaetz said. In a social media post, he stated that he would continue fighting for the country but from a different role. 

He further backed Trump’s new choice, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, stating, “She’s a proven litigator, an inspiring leader, and a champion for all Americans. She will bring the needed reforms to DOJ.” 

Who is Pam Bondi

Pam Bondi (59), a longtime ally of Donald Trump, actively defended him as one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial. The case centered on allegations that Trump attempted to tie U.S. military aid to Ukraine with an investigation into then-Vice President Joe Biden. 

Bondi played a key role on Trump’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during his first term and acted as a campaign surrogate in this year’s presidential race. Earlier this year, she joined a group of Republicans at Trump’s hush-money trial in New York to publicly show support for him. 

As the leader of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank established by former Trump administration officials, Bondi further solidified her ties to Trump’s political circle. 

Based in Tampa, Bondi made history as Florida’s first female attorney general and served as a prosecutor from 2011 to 2019, bringing 18 years of legal experience to the table. 

Matt Gaetz Faces Sexual Misconduct Allegations 

Two women recently testified before the House Ethics Committee, claiming that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex multiple times starting in 2017, during his tenure as a Florida congressman. They also alleged that he had sexual relations with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida that same year, which would have been statutory rape since the legal age of consent in the state is 18. That investigation, however, ended without charges. 

Meanwhile, Peter Hegseth, Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon and a former Fox News anchor, is also facing sexual assault allegations. Hegseth has denied the claims, stating he was previously investigated and cleared. 

(With agency inputs)