Top Republican figures who once held senior roles in the Justice Department say they are “troubled to appalled” by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s behavior while leading the DOJ. The criticism, reported by The New Yorker, cuts across party lines and centers on what insiders are calling her “ferociously sycophantic” loyalty to Donald Trump.
“Bondi’s performance has produced almost universal outrage from Democrats and, in private at least, the unhappiness crosses party lines,” wrote New Yorker reporter Ruth Marcus, formerly of The Washington Post.
Marcus interviewed a range of former DOJ officials who served under Republican presidents going back to Ronald Reagan. While some still back Trump’s overall agenda, many were blunt in their assessment of Bondi. They accused her of putting loyalty to Trump above her duties as attorney general, and of using over-the-top language to flatter the president.
One former senior DOJ official told Marcus, “In Pam Bondi, Donald Trump has the attorney general he always wanted.” That’s a sharp contrast to Trump’s own past complaints about his earlier picks for the role, which he often said were among his biggest mistakes.
Bondi’s loyalty seems to have bought her job security. Even as far-right voices in Trump’s base called for her removal—especially over her mishandling of the Jeffrey Epstein files—Trump didn’t budge. Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer with deep ties to the White House, publicly campaigned to get Bondi fired. She has a record of pushing out officials she targets, but this time she failed.
Bondi faced criticism from all sides, including hardcore Trump supporters, over the Epstein case. In February, she told Fox News that Epstein’s so-called “client list” was “sitting on my desk right now to review.” But just months later, a leaked DOJ memo contradicted her claim, saying Epstein never kept a client list and that no more information would be released.
The backlash was immediate—and fierce. But again, Trump stood by her.
A senior White House official admitted to The New Yorker that Bondi and others “did not recognize the almost cult around the subject matter” of Epstein in the MAGA world. The official added, “She may have treated it a little more cavalierly than if she had it to do over now.”
Despite the mounting pressure, Bondi remains in place. Critics say it’s not because of her performance—but because of her loyalty.
“She’s not there because she’s the best person for the job,” one former official said privately. “She’s there because she tells Trump exactly what he wants to hear.”
