We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD Trump has named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be US attorney general just hours after Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration.
Bondi is a long-time ally of Mr Trump and was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial when he was accused — but not convicted — of abusing his power as he tried to condition US military assistance to Ukraine on that country investigating then-former vice president Joe Biden.
Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York which ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts.
She has chaired the America First Policy Institute, a think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponised against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” Trump said in a social media post.
“Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.”
Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr told Fox Business on Sunday that the transition team had back-ups in mind for his controversial nominees should they fail to get confirmed.
The swift selection of Bondi came about six hours after Gaetz withdrew.
Gaetz stepped aside amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer.
That announcement capped a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalise on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being nominated last week to lead it.
The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies.
“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators to win their support, said in a statement.
“There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”
In a social media post, Trump said: “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”
Last week, Trump named his personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible attorney general contender, Matt Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the US ambassador to Nato.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
She is a very qualified lady
@Trump24: Better than Gaetz in terms of qualifications anyway, let’s hope she’s not as mental as him or her Don.
@Trump24: And no doubt you claimed that Kamala Harris was unqualified.
Fantastic appointment :)
@Brendan O’Brien: Well to be President she definitely was not qualified as we all know
@Trump24: Attorney general is an important position too, and Harris has much more experience.
Of course Trump is not qualified to be president at all.
@Brendan O’Brien: keep some leftie tears…..4yrs us a long stint to be wailing, lol
@Trump24: Like Trump was qualified lol!
@Brendan O’Brien: Well, most Americans disagree with you.
@Brendan O’Brien: trump is excellently qualified especially considering what the left has done to the great man. Greatest comeback in all of history. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful individual as leader of the free world :)
@Brendan O’Brien: the only qualification needed seems to be an Emmy. Although Trump didn’t win one. Guess why? He claimed it was all rigged.
@Trump24: Looks the part
Smart and beautiful, excellent choice :)
@Paul M Doe: Yes indeed . God spared Donald Trump from assassination for His own very good reasons . We should be thankful .
@Brendan O’Brien: Trump is the most qualified person in the country he has actual job experience and is amazing.
@Brendan O’Brien: If trump is not qualified why did he receive the best electoral vote and popular vote for a republican since George H W bush which was 1988??? The dems tried to destroy him and it backfired because the voters eyes were open. He got the largest share of the Democratic vote since Ronald Reagan also.
@Trump24: lol… he’s been bankrupt 6 times and started the game with generational wealth, I don’t judge people based on what the media say or people on here, it could ll work out really well for Americans, but he’s never worked a day in his life! “experience” :)
@Brendan O’Brien: of course he is, he already was president and he did a wonderful job.
@Thesaltyurchin: I laughed out loud to that comment ” experienced”. Also the way the sentence was put together;”he has actual job experience and is amazing” you would think with all the comment’s he writes all day everyday, he would develop better skills.
@HisMastersAlibi: he’s 12 with a man crush
Trump picking from a predator list is a new low in US politics..
@Jamie Hinch: no that’s bill clinton lol
@Paul M Doe: But he did not have sexual relations with that woman :)
@David O Brien: As an uber rich it’s your right to assault at will, remember lots of money means more clever! lol
Matt Gaetz has a very square looking head.
@Paul Martin: that is because they put him
In a box
“34 felony counts,” “federal sex trafficking” —-
@Iano C: all about to be overturned :)
@Paul M Doe: let’s not get in the way of facts…he resigned his position so the charges have to dropped NOT because they are not true…sounds like a plan he cooked up with Trump all along….and here’s you supporting a possible sex trafficker while calling sinn fein peados
@Clare Power: possible versus actual. Facts matter Karen lol
@Paul M Doe: The entire sinn fein party are not paedophiles..yes facts matter…..are you not ashamed supporting sex predators…this man told his colleague he had sex with an underage girl…will you call him a liar?.
@Clare Power: who said they were? Do you agree SF has a serious issue with pedos? Not only that, when found out they quickly move them across international borders to this country? Not only that, but gift them a position in our houses of government. You have no issue with that?
Popcorn time next year . Watching all the people who waged lawfare against Trump squirm . How many cases did they throw at him again ? . Everyone knows what they did to try and stop him running again it’s just the left whingers will never admit it . It will make mainstream news watchable again from the 20th of Jan just to see all the weeping and wailing .
@Mattblack: they didn’t ‘just’ throw every lowlife dirty trick in the book at the President of Peace….. they wrote a NEW book when the multiple assassin attempts started. Hoping this Ukraine/ Russian conflict does spiral into WW3 before the INAUGURATION OF PEACE Jan20th
@Frank Mc Carthy: “DOESN’T” spiral
@Frank Mc Carthy: Freudian slip there, Stephen.
@Brendan O’Brien: more ‘ SAMSUNG’ slip,lol
@Frank Mc Carthy: sex offences were withdrawn against Joe biden as well
@Frank Mc Carthy: do you read the beano or the dandy? Or would they go over your head?
He’s back choosing ‘the best people’ again LOL
Trump says that the US justice systems has been weaponised against him and OTHER REPUBLICANS. Who is it who refers to any Republican who disagrees with him or criticises him as RHINOS…..and who said RHINO’s are S C U M?
@Numinous20111: Who threatens any such Republican with a pro-Trump candidate contesting the RHINO’s primary election?
@Numinous20111: it’s RINO, Republican in Name Only
@Numinous20111: ‘weaponising the justice system’ in Trump speak = being held accountable for your actions.
@Setanta O’Toole: all going to be rightly overturned as it’s obvious political persecution :)
I bet he is already thinking of them alone in the Oval Office
@You’re Not Serious: it’s the democrats that have history in that department lol
Another appointment of crackpot henchmen/women from Orange turd.
Matt Gaetz WITHDREW as Attorney General – because he has something to hide. Matt Gaetz RESIGNED from the House – because he has something to hide. Matt Gaetz BEGGED Trump for a pardon – because he has something to hide.
@Jack Hayes: speculation, overruled lol
@Paul M Doe: A mugshot cabinet.
It’s great watching the US implode, especially with Trump picking nonces for big positions.
@Jacintha Dumbrell: the 2 things to guarantee a place in his cabinet…no experience and experience of sexual misconduct
@Clare Power: who has a criminal conviction for sexual offences in his proposed cabinet? You really need to try harder with your lies to make the believable lol
@Paul M Doe: I’m sorry….where did I say criminal conviction???
Another white supremacist who hates gay people.
@Chin: don’t forget her well documented shady financial behaviour either.
Wonderful appointment, if the left are triggered you know it’s a great appointment
@Paul M Doe: doesn’t take much to trigger em’ nowadays, they taking the great victory hard
@Chin: Keep them coming so
How long before he fires her and calls her ‘dumb as a rock’?
@Brendan O’Brien: isn’t that why the people fired Kamala lol
Trump is a sex offender so will she send the sex offender to jail
@Anthony Ross: trump has no criminal convictions for anything you mention :)
Who actually cares
Paul yes he was
Trump is a sex offender maybe she will do her job and jail him
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say