Democrats have set their sights on Attorney General Pam Bondi after Kristi “ICE Barbie” Noem was unceremoniously given the boot by Donald Trump.
Noem’s controversial tenure as Homeland Security secretary ended Thursday after the president finally removed her from the top Cabinet role and gave her a seemingly invented title of “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas.”
With Noem essentially out of the picture, Democrats believe they can now focus their attention and scrutiny on the constantly embattled Bondi, who is facing ongoing bipartisan criticism over her botched handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
“There’s a culture of lawlessness and chaos in the Cabinet and Noem was a big part of it, but Bondi is a central part of it and she’s been at the heart of the Epstein cover-up,” House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin told Axios.
When asked about Noem’s firing at a Thursday press conference, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries name-checked Bondi and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller as the two who have “got to go” next.
“We’re going to approach those two toxic individuals with the same intensity that has now led to the termination of Kristi Noem,” Jeffries said.
The influence Democrats may have had in getting Noem fired by Trump is highly questionable, beyond their threat of launching impeachment proceedings against her.
Instead, the president was apparently tired of the constant scandals surrounding Noem, including the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration officials in Minneapolis and her alleged attempt to pin the blame on Miller, a top Trump ally. Noem has also faced long-running allegations that she is having an affair with her top aide, Cory Lewandowski.
Still, Democrats are taking steps to pile pressure on Bondi as the attorney general and the Department of Justice face backlash over the handling of the Epstein files and accusations of a cover-up.
On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena Bondi to testify about the Epstein saga, with five Republicans joining Democrats on the panel.
Michigan Rep. Shri Thanedar also filed articles of impeachment against Bondi soon after Noem was fired on Thursday, accusing her of obstruction of Congress, dereliction of duty, obstruction of justice, and weaponizing and politicizing the DOJ as millions of Epstein-related documents remain unreleased despite legal requirements to make them publicly available.
The impeachment effort is largely symbolic, as any attempt to remove Bondi would need to clear the GOP-controlled House and Senate.
Trump has defended Bondi as she continues to face criticism. It is unclear how reassuring that support will be for the attorney general, given that the president consistently backed Noem before ultimately deciding to fire her.
“Attorney General Pam Bondi, who’s a terrific person and friend,” Trump said Thursday at a White House event congratulating Major League Soccer champions Inter Miami.
“And she’s proving how tough she is, and I think over the next three years she’s really going to prove it,” Trump added.
The Daily Beast has contacted the Department of Justice for comment.
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