Her confirmation hearing may not have involved the degree of fireworks we saw in Tuesday's Pete Hegseth hearing, but Round One of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Pam Bondi's nomination as Attorney General wasn't short on key moments highlighting the importance of the role for which she's been nominated.
While the Republicans on the committee generally used their time questioning Bondi to underscore the critical nature of the role and the need to remove politics from and deweaponize the Department of Justice, the Democrats did their level best to smear Bondi by proxy, pointing to comments made by President-elect Donald Trump and his nominee for FBI Director Kash Patel and demanding that she disavow them. When they weren't taking that tack, they were circling back to the 2020 election, demanding that she unequivocally state that Joe Biden won it. (Bondi, for her part, repeatedly acknowledged that Joe Biden is the current president.)
That said, the Democrats did not lay a glove on Bondi. She kept her composure throughout, even in the face of pointed (and sometimes outright inane) questioning and pushing back when Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) became extraordinarily combative with her and refused to allow her to answer his questions.
Based on the tone and tenor of their questions, several of the Democrat senators appeared inclined to confirm Bondi (though there's no guarantee of that, of course). I'd not be surprised if Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Peter Welch (D-VT) wind up being yes votes for Bondi.
Pam Bondi Is Set for Day One of Hearings Before the Senate Judiciary Committee
If I Were a Corrupt Justice Department Official, I Might Be a Little Terrified About Now
Below are some of the specific highlights from Round One of Bondi's questioning. First, in her opening statement, Bondi affirmed her commitment to returning the Department of Justice to its core mission.
PAM BONDI: If confirmed as Attorney General of the United States, my overriding objective will be to return the Department of Justice to its core mission of keeping Americans safe and vigorously prosecuting criminals. pic.twitter.com/ETIPDxWi32
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 15, 2025
After Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) laid out the ground rules, explaining that there would be seven minutes of questioning by each senator in the first round and then four minutes of questioning by each in the second round, Bondi was introduced by Rick Scott (R-FL) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO). Grassley then noted that Biden's nominee for AG, Merrick Garland, was approved on a bipartisan basis (70-30) and that while some of Garland's actions since have been disappointing, he was nevertheless given the benefit of the doubt in the confirmation process.
Next up was Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL), who questioned Bondi fairly aggressively regarding the 2020 election and the potential of pardons for January 6 defendants, in particular, those convicted of assaulting police officers. While refusing to accept much of Durbin's premise, Bondi did note, "I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country."
DURBIN: Do you believe that the January 6 rioters who've been convicted of violent assaults on police officers should be pardoned?
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 15, 2025
BONDI: Let me be very clear in speaking to you, I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country. pic.twitter.com/DHYpdKIxO0
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asked whether Bondi supports designating certain Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Noting that some of the cartels "are a grave and violent threat to our country," Bondi confirmed that she does.
GRAHAM: Do you support making certain drug cartels in Mexico foreign terrorist organizations?
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 15, 2025
BONDI: They are a grave and violent threat to our country. Yes. pic.twitter.com/FXNeFnQkyK
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) had an interesting exchange with Bondi in which, after asking her about "enemies lists" (with which she does not agree), they discussed the dangers of a weaponized Justice Department.
WHITEHOUSE: It would not be appropriate for a prosecutor to start with a name and look for a crime? It's a prosecutors job to start with a crime and look for a name, correct?
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 15, 2025
BONID: Senator, I think that is the whole problem with the weaponization that we've seen the last four… pic.twitter.com/eQTIvXXAAm
WHITEHOUSE: It would not be appropriate for a prosecutor to start with a name and look for a crime; it's a prosecutor's job to start with a crime and look for a name, correct?
BONDI: Senator, I think that is the whole problem with the weaponization that we have seen the last four years and what's been happening to Donald Trump. They targeted Donald Trump — they went after him, actually starting in 2016. They targeted his campaign; they've launched countless investigations against him — that will not be the case if I am attorney general. I will not politicize that office. I will not target people simply because of their political affiliation. Justice will be administered even-handedly throughout this country. Senator, we've gotta bring this country back together, we've got to move forward, or we're gonna lose our country.
Bondi pushed back on Richard Blumenthal's (D-CT) insinuation that she was compelled to answer a certain way.
.@PamBondi roasts Da Nang Dick Blumenthal: "I need to clarify something that you said — that I have to sit up here and say these things. No, I don't. I sit up here and speak the truth." pic.twitter.com/Ml0LdmvO45
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 15, 2025
When it was Mazie Hirono's (D-HI) turn, Bondi was quick to point out that Hirono was the only one who refused to meet with her ahead of the hearing. (Ironic, given the emphasis the Democrats placed on not having an opportunity to meet with Hegseth ahead of his hearing.)
Pam Bondi was NOT taking Sen. Hirono's crap:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 15, 2025
"You were the only one who refused to meet with me, senator..." pic.twitter.com/izxg0Sd9j8
Neither of California's senators covered themselves in glory. Both Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff got downright nasty with Bondi, but she punched back (while not losing her cool), even emphasizing to Schiff that he'd been censured by his colleagues for comments like the ones directed at her.
Pam Bondi to Dem Sen. Alex Padilla: "I'm not going to be bullied by you."pic.twitter.com/H6YJyC8tKq
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 15, 2025
🔥 MUST WATCH: Future Attorney General Pam Bondi shuts down Pencil Neck:
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 15, 2025
"I'm not going to mislead this body, nor you. You were censured by Congress for comments like these." pic.twitter.com/uYRAnM34DX
Whatever the reason for it, in the second round of questioning in the afternoon, even Padilla and Schiff were more subdued and conciliatory in their questioning of Bondi.
There's a second hearing regarding Bondi slated for Thursday, beginning at 10:15 a.m. Eastern, which appears to be designed for other witnesses to testify regarding her, rather than further direct questioning of the nominee. We will, of course, monitor and report on that. But to sum up Day One, Bondi more than held her own, even in the face of some ugly questioning, and at this point, it appears likely that she will be confirmed — likely with bipartisan support.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member