Pam Bondi stumbled through answers after reporters highlighted conflicting accounts about why DNI Tulsi Gabbard was present during the FBI's seizure of 2020 ballots in Fulton County. Officials first said the Justice Department did not request her attendance; Gabbard wrote that the president asked her to observe; Trump later suggested Bondi insisted she go. Bondi emphasized the FBI deputy was leading the operation and denied her presence would taint the investigation, while the White House declined to clarify who directed Gabbard to attend.
Bondi Falters as Officials Offer Conflicting Accounts of Tulsi Gabbard’s Presence at Georgia Ballot Search
Attorney General Pam Bondi was left stammering on Friday when pressed on President Donald Trump's claim that she insisted DNI Tulsi Gabbard attend the Fulton County, GA raid where 2020 ballots were seized. / Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images
Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared flustered and repeatedly searched for words when pressed by reporters about competing explanations for why Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard attended the FBI’s seizure of 2020 ballots in Fulton County, Georgia.
Shifting Official Accounts
The administration has offered a series of inconsistent explanations for Gabbard’s presence at the scene. Early statements said the Justice Department did not request her attendance. Gabbard later said she went at the direct request of President Donald Trump, while Trump subsequently suggested that Bondi had insisted she attend.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard entering the Fulton County Election HUB last week as the FBI took Fulton County 2020 Election ballots. / AP
Bondi’s Exchange With Reporters
At a Friday press briefing, a reporter asked Bondi, 'What is the case here?' The attorney general responded with an uneasy laugh and repeatedly described herself and Gabbard as close collaborators. At several moments Bondi appeared to struggle to articulate a clear response; her voice trembled as she searched for words.
'DNI Gabbard and I are inseparable,' Bondi said, adding that 'we are constantly together' and that 'we constantly talk.' She also emphasized that Deputy FBI Director Andrew Bailey was present and leading the operation in Fulton County.
Bondi declined to discuss additional details, saying Georgia is an important issue and insisting that Gabbard's presence would not taint the investigation.
President Trump claimed on Thursday that it was Attorney General Pam Bondi who insisted Gabbard attend the Fulton County raid. / Alex Wong / Alex Wong/Getty Images
Conflicting Claims and White House Response
At the National Prayer Breakfast, President Trump said Gabbard 'went in at Pam’s insistence.' But in a letter to Democratic lawmakers, Gabbard wrote that 'my presence was requested by the President' and that she acted under her statutory authority related to election-security intelligence.
A spokesperson for Gabbard told the Daily Beast that both the president and the attorney general asked her to be present. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to provide a direct answer about whether the president personally directed Gabbard to go to Georgia, criticizing media focus on wording. When NBC News asked Trump directly why Gabbard attended the raid, he replied, 'I don't know,' before pivoting to broader remarks about alleged election irregularities.
Why It Matters
The differing explanations and Bondi’s halting responses raise questions about who authorized or requested the DNI's presence during a sensitive law enforcement action. Officials have emphasized that FBI leadership, particularly Deputy Director Bailey, led the operation, but uncertainty over who asked Gabbard to attend has kept the issue in the spotlight.
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