The Senate on Tuesday night confirmed Pam Bondi as President Donald Trump's attorney general.
The vote was 54-46, with only one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, supporting Bondi, a former Florida attorney general who became Trump's pick when former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., turned down the nomination and resigned from Congress.
Fetterman told reporters after the vote that he decided to support Bondi because of her qualifications, even though she is not his "ideal" choice, according to CNN.
"I'm saying that she's, she's qualified, and it's not my ideal pick, but it turns out that [former Attorney General] Merrick Garland wasn't anyone's ideal one either," he said.
Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., who succeeded Bondi in 2019 as Florida's attorney general before being named to the Senate by Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace Secretary of State Marco Rubio, posted on X, "So excited to vote to confirm my friend @PamBondi for US Attorney General. Congratulations AG Pam Bondi, 'you will be the Greatest AG.' "
Trump will task Bondi to reshape the Department of Justice, which was highly politicized under her predecessor, Garland. Former President Joe Biden's DOJ launched political prosecutions of Trump, jailed nearly 2,000 people connected to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol, targeted Catholics as potential domestic terrorists, and jailed peaceful anti-abortion protesters.
"I want to congratulate Pam on her confirmation as the next U.S. Attorney General following today's Senate vote," Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., a former Missouri attorney general, said in a news release.
"I’ve known Pam both as a colleague and friend, and I have full confidence that she will do an outstanding job leading the Justice Department as our next Attorney General," Schmitt said. "Pam will focus on reversing the disastrous weaponization that's occurred at the Justice Department, fight to protect our rights, and ensure that justice is administered fairly."
The Senate on Monday voted 52-46 along party lines to end debate and send Bondi's nomination to the floor for a full vote. Fetterman and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., did not vote Monday. Like Fetterman, Graham voted Tuesday to confirm Bondi.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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