President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Pam Bondi to serve as U.S. attorney general in his new administration.
Trump made the announcement on Thursday just hours after Matt Gaetz revealed he would be withdrawing from consideration for the position of attorney general.
In his announcement, the president-elect praised Bondi for her previous work on a Trump commission that focused on ending the opioid crisis and combatting drug addiction.
He described her as “smart and tough,” saying she would, as the country's chief federal law enforcement officer, help “refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose” and work to prosecute crime.
“Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on Violent Criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida Families. Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs, and reduce the tragedy of Fentanyl Overdose Deaths, which have destroyed many families across our Country. She did such an incredible job, that I asked her to serve on our Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during my first Term—We saved many lives!” Trump added.
Earlier in the day, both Republicans and Democrats reacted to Gaetz's announcement on Thursday that he would be ending his bid for the role in President-elect Trump’s new administration.
“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,” he added.
Trump previously told reporters that he would not reconsider his choice for the role. On Thursday, the president-elect said he respects Gaetz's decision to withdraw.
Vice President-elect JD Vance, who met with Republicans this week on Capitol Hill to shore up support for Trump’s pick, suggested that Gaetz made the decision for the sake of the incoming administration.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) agreed with Trump, saying Gaetz has a “bright future.”
On the other hand, Democrats said they will continue to push the House Ethics Committee to release its report.
Meanwhile, Gaetz said he looks forward to the future and to continue the fight to save the country, possibly from a different role.