The US Senate confirmed Pam Bondi as attorney general on Tuesday evening. Bondi, a longtime ally of American President Donald Trump, will lead the Justice Department following the removal of career employees seen as disloyal to the Republican administration.
The confirmation vote was mostly along party lines, with only one Democrat, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, joining all Republicans to approve her nomination in a 54-46 vote.
Republicans have supported Bondi, saying she will refocus the Justice Department on its main responsibilities.
“Pam Bondi has promised to get the department back to its core mission: prosecuting crime and protecting Americans from threats to their safety and their freedoms,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.
Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and corporate lobbyist, is expected to oversee major changes in the department, which had pursued criminal cases against Trump. She will also oversee the FBI, which has been under scrutiny due to its role in investigations related to Trump.

Bondi’s close ties to Trump have raised concerns among Democrats. Trump previously removed an FBI director who refused to pledge loyalty and replaced an attorney general who recused himself from the Russia investigation.
At her confirmation hearing, Bondi assured lawmakers that politics would not influence her decisions but did not rule out investigations into Trump’s political opponents. She also repeated Trump’s claim that the Justice Department had been used unfairly against him.
Senator Peter Welch, D-Vt., acknowledged Bondi’s qualifications but expressed concern about Trump’s expectations.
“That clearly is a loyalty oath to him as opposed to a demand for straightforward, candid advice, including if the president is asking for something to be done like the prosecution of a political adversary,” Welch said.
The confirmation vote took place hours after FBI agents sued the Justice Department over efforts to identify employees involved in the January 6 prosecutions. The agents fear this could lead to mass firings.
At her confirmation hearing, Bondi said that she would not pursue cases for political reasons and that her duty was to the public, not the president. However, some of her comments were similar to Trump’s views on the justice system.
“They targeted Donald Trump,” Bondi told lawmakers. “They went after him—actually starting back in 2016, they targeted his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him.” She added, “If I am attorney general, I will not politicize that office.”
Trump nominated Bondi after former Representative Matt Gaetz failed to secure enough Republican support for confirmation.
Bondi has been a strong public defender of Trump and previously suggested that Justice Department prosecutors would be investigated under his administration.
“The investigators will be investigated,” she said in a 2023 Fox News appearance.