During a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to be Attorney General repeatedly refused to say Joe Biden won the 2020 election.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., asked nominee Pam Bondi if Trump lost the 2020 election.
Bondi, former Florida Attorney Feneral, responded by saying Biden was "duly sworn in" as president but refused to give Durbin a "yes" or "no" answer.
"Ranking member Durbin, President Biden is the president of the United States. He was duly sworn in. And he is the president of the United States. There was a peaceful transition of power. President Trump left office, and was overwhelmingly elected in 2024," Bondi said.
Asked whether she had "any doubts that Joe Biden received the majority of votes," Bondi said: "Senator, all I can tell you as a prosecutor is from my firsthand experience, and I accept the result. I accept, of course, that Joe Biden is president of the United States, but what I can tell you is what I saw firsthand when I went to Pennsylvania as an advocate for the campaign. I was an advocate for the campaign, and I was on the ground in Pennsylvania, and I saw many things there. But do I accept the results? Of course, I do."
Not satisfied with Bondi's answers, Durbin suggested Bondi listen to Trump's phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger concerning the 2020 election in the Peach State.
Durbin also pressed Bondi on how she would advise Trump on regarding clemency decisions for people involved at the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
"Senator, if confirmed as attorney general of the United States, the pardons, of course, fall under the president. But if asked to look at those cases, I will look at each case and advise on a case-by-case basis, just as I did my entire career as a prosecutor," Bondi said.
After saying she has not seen any of the Jan. 6 files, Bondi added, "I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.