Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US Attorney General, has sparked debate following a recently resurfaced interview in which she advocated for the deportation of foreign students who express support for Hamas.
Bondi, who served as Florida’s Attorney General from 2011 to 2019, was nominated after Trump’s initial pick, Matt Gaetz, withdrew amid controversies surrounding allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies.

In an October 2023 interview with Newsmax, Bondi criticised campus protests that followed Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel. She stated that students on visas who support Hamas should face immediate consequences. “I think their student visas need to be revoked,” Bondi said.
“The FBI needs to be interviewing them right away when they’re saying, ‘I support Hamas. I am Hamas.’ That’s not saying, ‘I support all these poor Palestinians trapped in Gaza’”, she added.
Bondi further called for reinstating Trump’s travel ban, citing a need to address rising anti-Semitism in the United States. “The anti-Semitism rampant throughout this country now is truly heartbreaking,” she said, adding that many student protesters lack an understanding of Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
Bondi’s unwavering support for Israel has garnered praise from some Jewish lawmakers. Former Democratic Representative Robert Wexler remarked, “When it comes to the interests of the Jewish community and having an attorney general that will fight for protection, we could not do better than Pam Bondi.”
Bondi’s nomination has drawn attention for her strong ties to Trump and her contentious views.
Her tenure as Florida Attorney General was marked by opposition to same-sex marriage and attempts to dismantle Obamacare. Despite these controversies, Bondi’s qualifications and alignment with Trump’s policies may reassure Republican senators wary after the Gaetz debacle.
As Bondi prepares for her confirmation process, her statements about Hamas and campus protests are likely to remain a central topic of discussion.