Democrats cheer Trump’s firing of Pam Bondi and attack Epstein files ‘cover-up’

With quips, memes and jabs, Democrats cheered Donald Trump’s firing of attorney general Pam Bondi on Thursday, while the president’s Republican allies praised her relatively brief tenure overseeing the justice department.

Trump announced Bondi’s departure on Truth Social, saying: “We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future.” Her deputy Todd Blanche will take over as acting attorney general.

It was welcome news for Democrats, who had since her confirmation in February 2025 accused Bondi of destroying the justice department’s traditional independence from the White House, and taking its attorneys with retaliating against Trump’s enemies.

“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” Democratic congresswoman Angie Craig wrote on X, expressing a sentiment typical of most in her party.

The top House Democrat, Hakeem Jeffries, predicted that the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, “is next”.

Democratic congressman Marc Veasey tweeted a meme of Ice Cube saying “Bye Felicia” from the 1995 movie Friday, while his colleague Chris Deluzio posted another meme from animated sitcom The Critic in which a theater showing the play Cats burns down and the protagonist declares: “And nothing of value was lost.”

Other Democrats fretted over the damage Bondi had done, and what may happen next.

Senator Chris Coons described Bondi’s performance as “terrible”, but warned: “Somehow her allegiance to Trump wasn’t enough. It’s alarming to hear he may seek someone even more subservient and willing to weaponize the justice system for personal, financial, and political gain.”

Referring to Blanche, the new acting attorney general who represented Trump in the criminal cases brought against him during Joe Biden’s presidency, Democratic congressman Don Beyer said: “The DoJ is not a personal law firm, yet Donald Trump has installed another one of his former personal defense lawyers to lead the DoJ.”

“His blind allegiance to Trump is not a qualification for the job. He is wholly unfit to lead the DoJ,” Beyer said.

Many other Democrats accused Bondi of mishandling the matter of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in 2019.

The former attorney general had early in Trump’s second term declared she had received a list of allegedly powerful people associated with Epstein, only to backtrack months later and declare the investigation closed. That flew in the face of conspiracy theories promoted by Trump and his followers, and sparked a backlash so intense that Congress passed a law to release the government’s files related to Epstein over the president’s objections.

Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, which has been investigating the government’s handling of the Epstein files, noted that the panel had subpoenaed Bondi for testimony before her firing, and that she still was required to comply.

“Attorney General Pam Bondi has been leading a White House cover-up of the Epstein files. She has weaponized the Department of Justice to protect Donald Trump and put survivors in harm’s way by exposing their identities,” he said.

“She will not escape accountability and remains legally obligated to appear before our committee under oath. She must answer for her mishandling of the Epstein files and the special treatment she has given Ghislaine Maxwell,” the disgraced financier’s accomplice.

Democratic congressman Ro Khanna, a key figure in the legislative push to have the documents released, said: “Even though she has been fired, she must still answer to Congress about the remaining documents, why there have been no new prosecutions, and why she participated in a cover-up.”

Republicans generally offered well wishes while shying away from discussing her policies.

“Pam Bondi is a great friend and one of the best lawyers I’ve ever met,” said Florida senator Rick Scott. “She did an incredible job as Florida’s attorney general when I was governor, and she has been an incredible US attorney general.”

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Bondi “has done a great job for the people of our nation as attorney general, and she has been a great friend for a long time. I know Pam will continue to serve America in the private sector.”

During her tenure, Bondi became known for combative appearances before congressional committees in which she would personally attack Democratic lawmakers with information read from a “burn book”.

Chuck Grassley, the Republican chair of the Senate judiciary committee which played host to her confirmation and fiery oversight hearings, said: “Under her leadership, this justice department has been more responsive to my congressional oversight requests than any prior administration I’ve worked with – Republican or Democrat – and I expect that reputation to continue under Bondi’s successor.”

His panel will be tasked with confirming Bondi’s permanent successor, and Grassley said: “The judiciary committee stands ready to advance president Trump’s next attorney general nominee.”