Trump AG Pick Pam Bondi’s Response When Asked About Jan. 6
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his pick for U.S. attorney general, though Bondi appears to be keeping her options open.
When asked on Capitol Hill if the Senate would confirm her next year, Bondi chose not to respond.
“Trump Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi declines to answer whether any January 6th prosecutions will continue under her,” Florida’s Voice correspondent Eric Daugherty shared on his X account. He further noted: “To be clear, this is angering Democrats because they want her to say ‘yes.’”
Bondi has been engaging with senators on Capitol Hill ahead of her confirmation hearings, according to Politico.
Due to her close political ties with Trump, the outlet reported that Bondi is expected to face rigorous questioning regarding Trump’s alleged intent to pursue retribution if he regains the presidency.
While Bondi has openly criticized the criminal charges brought against Trump, she has largely avoided commenting on the January 6 Capitol riot or the Justice Department’s prosecutions of those involved in the event nearly four years ago.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis offered advice for Bondi should she be confirmed as attorney general. “Don’t try to be liked by the bureaucrats,” he remarked.
“Expect to be attacked relentlessly by the corporate press,” DeSantis said during an appearance on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle. “And know when that happens that’s a badge of honor, that means you’re doing the right thing.”
Trump recently announced his intention to use the initial hours of his presidency to pardon individuals convicted for their roles in the events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. He also outlined plans to begin deporting illegal immigrants and ramping up oil production.
During an interview with Time magazine, Trump explained that the pardons would apply to “nonviolent” participants in the Capitol events.
“We’re going to do it very quickly, and it’s going to start in the first hour that I get into office. A vast majority should not be in jail, and they’ve suffered gravely,” Trump said, referring to the January 6 cases.
The remarks were made during an in-depth conversation on November 25, as part of the magazine’s selection of Trump as its “Person of the Year.”
On foreign policy, Trump criticized President Joe Biden for allowing Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied weapons against certain targets in Russia, describing it as a worsening of the conflict that began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Trump suggested that efforts to resolve the war might gain momentum once he returns to the Oval Office.
“But I would imagine people are waiting until I get in before anything happens. I would imagine,” Trump told Time. “I think that would be very smart to do that.”
He went on to compare the complexities of global conflicts, stating, “I think that the Middle East is an easier problem to handle than what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine. OK, I just want to say that up front. The Middle East is going to get solved,” he declared. However, he added, “I think it’s more complicated than the Russia-Ukraine, but I think it’s, it’s, it’s easier to solve.”
In another part of the interview, Trump critiqued Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to run for president, calling it her “biggest mistake.”
Trump explained, “It’s important for people to know what you’re good at.”
Reflecting on her campaign strategy, he added, “I think that when she wouldn’t talk to anybody, it shone a light on her. In other words, if she would have gone out and just did interviews where they’re comparable to Steve, if there is anybody comparable, would say, could you do an interview here? An interview there? You know, she didn’t do anything.”
He continued, “And people said, is there something wrong with her? Why would they? I mean, I’m doing this interview with you. I did interviews with, if I had the time, anybody that would ask, I’d do interviews. I think the Joe Rogan interview, you know, that went on for almost three and a half hours.”
Trump concluded that Harris’ campaign “made a big tactical mistake by literally not talking to the press, even if [it was] a really friendly” outlet.