US Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed by Trump

US President Donald Trump has dismissed Attorney General Pam Bondi. He announced the decision in a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday, April 2, Al Jazeera reported.

Several US media outlets had earlier reported that Trump was planning to remove Bondi from her position. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as acting attorney general temporarily.

In his social media post, Trump wrote, "Pam Bondi is a great patriot and my trusted friend. She has served as Attorney General with dedication over the past year."

Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, was closely aligned with Trump's policies.

She had recently faced criticism over her handling of investigation documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. However, Trump did not specify any reason for her dismissal. He wrote, "We love Pam," adding that she would soon join a major role in the private sector.

According to multiple US media reports, Environmental Protection Agency chief Lee Zeldin is leading the race to succeed Bondi. Earlier on March 5, Trump had also dismissed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.