The Dictatorship
The embarrassing lesson of Pam Bondi’s confirmation hearing
ByMary McCord
Maybe now that Pam Bondi is goneshe will reflect on where and why she went astray.
Since Bondi became U.S. attorney general last February, I’ve often thought of three witnesses who testified at her confirmation hearing in support of her nomination. All were in law enforcement. All had worked with Bondi when she was attorney general of Florida. One had even run for that office as a Democrat.
Each said that they believed she would adhere to the rule of law as U.S. attorney general.
I, too, testified during the second day of Bondi’s confirmation hearings, in my capacity as a veteran of the Department of Justice for more than 20 years, including as the acting assistant attorney general for national security. I was there not to speak about Bondi — whom I have never met — but to remind lawmakers of the importance of maintaining the independence of the Department. I testified that this requires the attorney general to take seriously the oath they swear to the Constitution, not the president; to recuse from any matter where their impartiality could reasonably be questioned; and to reaffirm policies in place since Watergate to limit contacts between the White House and Justice Department lawyers on specific investigations and cases.
Among the other witnesses’ comments that I have reflected on during Bondi’s tenure, which ended Thursdayare these: One testified that Bondi understood a prosecutor’s obligation to “follow the evidence and the law, without fear or favor.” Another said that Bondi “appreciates the rules which make our judicial system the best in the world” and told Justice Department lawyers that they, like him, “will love working with Pam Bondi.” One extolled her “compassionate side,” as a “staunch supporter of crime victims.” Bondi herself committed to “one tier of justice for all.”
I have since wondered many times whether Bondi’s supporters at that hearing have had regrets as they’ve watched her actions over the past 14 months stray far from their predictions.
Chatting with Bondi’s supporters before and after the hearing, I never doubted their earnestness. They had worked with her to go after the “pill mills” that had produced the opioid crisis that killed many Floridians. The Democratic witness had even been tapped by Bondi to be her “drug czar,” which sparked significant criticism from Florida Republicans. Having seen Bondi promote Donald Trump’s fraudulent election claims on Fox TV and elsewhere, I was dubious about her ability to uphold the ideals of the Department of Justice, but I could not deny that she had some prosecutorial chops and had, at least with respect to her choice of drug czar, shown a commendable lack of partisanship.
I have since wondered many times whether Bondi’s supporters at that hearing have had regrets as they’ve watched her actions over the past 14 months stray far from their predictions.
In her first address to Justice Department attorneys in the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy building, Bondi did not commit to evenhanded justice. Instead, she announced that she, Todd Blanche (Trump’s former personal attorney who was deputy attorney general under Bondi and is now acting attorney general), and Emil Bove, then the principal assistant deputy attorney general, were “so proud to work at the directive of Donald Trump.”
And work at the president’s directive she did. On her first day as U.S. attorney general, Bondi issued a series of memos to DOJ attorneys, including one that established a “Weaponization Working Group” to examine, among other frequent Trump complaints, the investigations by Special Counsel Jack Smith and the “pursuit of improper investigative tactics and unethical prosecutions” relating to Jan. 6. Another memo announced a policy of “zealous advocacy” and threatened discipline, including termination, for any department attorney who refused to zealously advocate for the president’s policies because of “personal political views or judgments.”
Rather than following the evidence and the law, as one witness predicted, Bondi tried to appease Trump by investigating and prosecuting his political enemiesincluding former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. She did so after the president complained that “Nothing is being done” about Comey, James and Sen. Adam SchiffD-Calif., all of whom Trump called “guilty as hell.” Under Bondi’s leadership, the Justice Department took steps such as dropping its prosecution of Eric Adams, then mayor of New York, in what appeared to be a deal to get Adams to cooperate with the president’s immigration enforcement agenda. Acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, who headed the prosecution, cited the zealous-advocacy memo in her resignation letterwhich said the dismissal was “driven by improper considerations.”
Far from adhering to the rule of law and the impartial administration of justice, Bondi cast those principles aside as attorney general in her dogged pursuit of the president’s campaign of retribution.
And in contrast to the prediction of another witness that lawyers would love working with Bondi, scores of DOJ attorneys lost their jobs. After getting rid of Jack Smith’s team, Bondi told Fox News host Sean Hannity that department leadership would keep going to “root out” the people “who despise Donald Trump.” Many career attorneys with irreplaceable expertise were forced out; others resigned because they did not feel that they could in good faith defend the president’s actions. So many left U.S. attorney’s offices that Bondi’s former chief of staff posted on social media: “If you are a lawyer, are interested in being an AUSA, and support President Trump and anti-crime agenda, DM me.” In March, the Justice Department authorized U.S. attorney’s offices to recruit straight out of law schoolremoving a minimum requirement of one year of experience, due to the “exigent hiring need for attorneys across the Department.”
As to Bondi’s record as, in the words of one of the witnesses, a “staunch supporter of crime victims,” the evidence is spotty at best. Although she has publicly honored the mothers of victims of violence by those she called “illegal aliens” and victims of fentanyl overdoses, she refused even to look at victims of Jeffrey Epstein who attended a February House Judiciary Committee hearing when lawmakers asked the Epstein victims present to raise their hands if they had not had any opportunity to meet with the Justice Department. Bondi has been harshly criticized by Democrats and Republicans over her handling of the Epstein files, including the Justice Department’s failure to redact personal identifying information and even nude photographs of victims. Her response to criticism from lawmakers included calling Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a “washed-up lawyer” and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a “failed politician” with “Trump derangement syndrome.”
Far from adhering to the rule of law and the impartial administration of justice, Bondi cast those principles aside as attorney general in her dogged pursuit of the president’s campaign of retribution. She did an enormous disservice to the Department of Justice, greatly harming its lawyers, crime victims and public trust in the institution. The Senate must ensure that the next attorney general is held to the standards that Bondi’s supporters predicted of her — but that she failed to meet.
Mary McCord
Mary B. McCord is an MS Now legal and national security contributor, and co-host of the MS Now podcast “Main Justice.”She is executive director of Georgetown Law’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection. She previously served as the acting assistant attorney general for national security at the Department of Justice and was an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of Columbia for nearly 20 years.
After announcing the successful covert U.S. military rescue of the missing American airman in Iran over the weekend, President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened the country with severe bombardment come Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
Trump said in a social media post that the complex rescue mission included “dozens of aircraft” and that the officer “sustained injuries, but he will be just fine. Moments later, he vowed in a separate expletive-laden Truth Social post“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—-n’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
Trump later set a deadline of Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET for Iran to reach a deal with the U.S. to end the war. Trump told Fox News in an interview Sunday afternoon, “If they don’t make a deal and fast, I’m considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil.”
The announcement of the rescued airman, whose F-15E fighter jet was shot down in Iran on Friday, capped a tense two days as the U.S. and Iran raced against each other to find the officer alive. A senior administration official with knowledge of the operation who spoke on condition of anonymity told MS NOW that the CIA aided the effort in multiple ways.
Before the missing weapon systems officer had been located, the CIA launched a deception campaign and spread false accounts inside Iran that U.S. forces had found him and were moving him on the ground and out of the country.
At the same time, the CIA used its capabilities to confirm the location of the missing American. The senior administration official described the effort as the ultimate search for a “needle in a haystack.”
The officer, who was injured, followed his training, hiked away from where he landed and ascended a ridge, according to The New York Times. The American airman then hid in a mountain crevice, the senior administration official told MS NOW.
The CIA shared his exact location with the Defense Department and the White House. Trump ordered a military rescue mission, which the CIA supported by sending real-time information. Axios first reported the CIA’s role in the rescue.
Israeli Prime Minister Prime Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated his American counterpart and war partner in a statement he posted on social media.
“This rescue operation reinforces the sacred principle: no one is left behind,” Netanyahu, who launched attacks on Iran jointly with Trump on Feb. 28, said. “This is a shared value demonstrated time and time again in the history of both our countries.”
The successful rescue of the American airman put the spotlight in Iran back opening the Strait of Hormuz. The Omani foreign ministry said it held a meeting on Sunday with Iranian officials about “possible options for ensuring the smooth flow of transit” through the vital waterway to provide oil to rest of the world.
One crew member of the F-15E was rescued after the aircraft went down in Iran on Fridaytwo U.S. officials confirmed earlier to MS NOW. The second crew member was declared “DUSTWUN” shortly after, a military designation that stands for “Duty Status-Whereabouts Unknown.”
While searching for the missing F-15E crew member, at least one Blackhawk helicopter was fired on, though a U.S. official said it returned safely to its base.
A second American jet, an A-10 Warthog, is also believed to have been shot down by Iranian forces, the same U.S. official previously told MS NOW. The lone pilot of that A-10, which was believed to have crashed near the Strait of Hormuz, was safely rescued. The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post were first to report that the A-10 had been shot down.
Earlier on Saturday, the White House pushed back on criticism that Trump had not publicly addressed the search-and-rescue efforts. “There has never been a President who has worked harder for the American people than President Trump. On this Easter weekend, he has been working nonstop in the White House and Oval Office. God Bless him,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement posted on X.
Emily Hung contributed to this report.
Julia Jester covers politics for MS NOW and is based in Washington, D.C.
David Rohde
David Rohde is the senior national security reporter for MS NOW. Previously he was the senior executive editor for national security and law for NBC News.
The Dictatorship
Trump’s expletive-laced Easter message to Iran: Open the strait or ‘you’ll be living in Hell’
Fresh off the daring nighttime rescue of the U.S. airman shot down in Iran on Friday, President Donald Trump warned Iran Sunday morning, “Open the F—-n’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!”
The president then set a new deadline of 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday for Iran to reach a deal with the U.S., making yet another extension. In a spate of news interviews Sunday afternoon, Trump told Blue Light News he would not rule out sending ground troops. And he told Fox News Sunday he’s “considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil” if Iran doesn’t accept a deal, which he said he expects by Monday.
But in an interview with ABC News Sunday afternoon, Trump sounded less certain about a deal, saying, “I have no idea with these people. There could be a deal, and there could also not be a deal. I don’t know. I have no idea with these people, they’re getting the shit beat out of them, and that’s, that’s all I can tell you.” Of the possibility of ground troops, he said, “I don’t think it’s necessary but I don’t rule anything out.”
Just before 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, the president praised both the rescued officer and the special military team that got him safely out of enemy territory.
“We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer, from deep inside the mountains of Iran,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “The Iranian Military was looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close. He is a highly respected Colonel. This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to ‘man and equipment.’ It just doesn’t happen!”
The president announced he would hold a news conference early Monday afternoon with Pentagon officials. “God Bless our great MILITARY WARRIORS!” he added.
Then he vowed that Iran can expect heavy bombardment — very soon. “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—-n’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!” Trump said, adding, “Praise be to Allah.”
The president’s unorthodox Easter morning message was startling, even to those in Washington who have grown accustomed to his unconventional leadership.
Former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had a public falling out with Trump before she left Congress, said the president “has gone insane.”
“On Easter morning, this is what President Trump posted,” the Georgia Republican, who is an opponent of the Iran war, said on X. “Everyone in his administration that claims to be a Christian needs to fall on their knees and beg forgiveness from God and stop worshipping the President and intervene in Trump’s madness.”
“It’s disgusting,” Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., said during an appearance on MS NOW’s “The Weekend.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reacted to the president’s F-bomb-laced holiday missive, saying on X“Happy Easter, America. As you head off to church and celebrate with friends and family, the President of the United States is ranting like an unhinged madman on social media.”
“It’s shocking that this is our president,” Balint added.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Akayla Gardner is a White House correspondent for MS NOW.
Emily Hung is an associate White House producer for MS NOW.
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
In his Easter Sunday message delivered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV called on “those who have the power to unleash wars” to choose peace instead.
He did not call out world leaders by name, but his message comes nearly 40 days into the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. The war has spread throughout the region, destabilizing nearby countries like Lebanon and those in the Gulf and shocking the global economy.
“In the light of Easter, let us allow ourselves to be amazed by Christ! Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us!” the first U.S.-born pontiff told the crowd in his “Urbi et Orbi” address. “Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!”
The pope’s prayers for peace came as President Donald Trump threatened an escalation in military attacks on Iran in a profanity-laced Easter morning tirade on Truth Social.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—-n’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!” Trump said, adding, “Praise be to Allah.”
In his Easter message to the world on a day when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, Leo said, “We are growing accustomed to violence” and becoming indifferent to death, which he characterized as a far cry from Jesus’s peaceful teachings.
He also called on the world to “abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power.”
He made similar remarks during the Holy Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Thursday and earlier on Palm Sunday. In his Palm Sunday homily, he said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”
When asked about the pope’s Palm Sunday comments, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with our military leaders or with the president calling on the American people to pray for our service members and those who are serving our country overseas.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the American people to pray every day for U.S. victory in the war “in the name of Jesus Christ.”
Trump’s spiritual advisor, televangelist Paula White‑Cain, likened the president to Jesus Christ during a White House easter lunch on April 1, when she alluded to attempts on Trump’s life and past criminal indictments.
“It’s a familiar pattern that our lord and savior showed us. But it didn’t end there for him, and it didn’t end there for you,” she said.
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
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