Report: Trump Once Considered Firing U.S. Attorney General

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Another signal of personnel upheaval has emerged within the Trump administration.

On Thursday, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Trump has privately discussed firing current Attorney General Pam Bondi and is considering replacing her with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. This news has once again raised concerns about the independence of the U.S. judiciary and the direction of policy.

Trump is deeply dissatisfied with his administration's handling of public backlash over the Epstein files, and believes Bondi has not sufficiently investigated his political opponents, which has prompted thoughts of making a personnel change.

Sources say these discussions resurfaced in the West Wing on Monday. However, Trump has not yet made a final decision. In a statement, he expressed positive views toward Bondi, describing her as "an outstanding person with good job performance."

Epstein files as trigger, personnel change discussions emerge again

According to CNN, citing multiple sources, the idea of replacing Bondi with Zeldin first arose in January of this year, but was temporarily shelved as coverage regarding Epstein subsided. Some senior Justice Department officials thought the year-long political trouble had come to an end. However, these discussions reignited within the White House on Monday.

Bondi has become embroiled at the center of the Epstein files controversy, as she stated in a Fox News interview in February 2025 that an Epstein client list "was sitting on my desk awaiting review," which the Justice Department later denied existed. Bondi later explained that she referred to all documents related to the Epstein investigation, including flight records, rather than a specific client list. In addition, Bondi will testify at a Congressional hearing later this month regarding Congress's investigation into the late sex offender.

Sources reveal that Zeldin is not yet the final candidate to replace Bondi, as Trump has mentioned other contenders, but Zeldin is referenced most frequently. Zeldin formerly represented New York's 1st Congressional District and, after losing the 2022 gubernatorial election to Kathy Hochul, has maintained close ties to Trump and appeared multiple times at Mar-a-Lago.

Allies stand firm, but personnel risks remain

Bondi is not without support within the administration. According to sources, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is a key supporter and has intervened several times to mediate when Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Bondi over the past few months.

However, Wiles herself admitted in a media interview that Bondi "completely mishandled" the Epstein files issue, using unusually candid language.

Bondi is Trump's second nominee for the Attorney General position—the first, former Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, withdrew after failing to secure sufficient backing from Republican senators. Bondi was ultimately confirmed by the Senate with a 54-46 vote, split largely along party lines. She pledged during her confirmation hearing not to misuse criminal investigations for political purposes, as happened with the investigations targeting Trump.

Trump recently dismissed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the first cabinet member to be removed during his second term. Analysts point out that if Bondi is fired, it would be another major personnel shake-up in the Trump administration and could further intensify scrutiny of the stability of the U.S. rule of law.

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