According to CNN and The New York Times, former Attorney General Pam Bondi tried to save her job after President Trump told her her firing was imminent, including asking to stay through the summer and meeting a U.S. attorney in Florida about charging John Brennan. She returned to Tampa before her dismissal was announced and was reportedly emotional afterward. Her tenure was marked by pressure to pursue Trump’s political opponents and a high-profile misstatement about possessing an Epstein “client list,” which led to limits on her media appearances.
Pam Bondi’s Last-Ditch Bid to Keep Her Job — Meeting With Prosecutor and Epstein ‘Client List’ Misstep
Photo Illustration by Victoria Sunday/The Daily Beast/Getty Images/Reuters
Fired former Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly made a desperate effort to hang on to her post after President Donald Trump informed her that her dismissal was imminent, according to CNN and The New York Times.
What Happened
Sources told CNN that Mr. Trump broke the news to Bondi while they traveled together to the Supreme Court, saying, “I think it’s time.” Bondi asked to remain through the summer, but her request was denied. She kept the exchange private and entered the court at the president’s side, smiling as they exited the presidential vehicle nicknamed “The Beast.”
Trump broke the news to Bondi during a short car ride from the White House to the Supreme Court. / Kevin Lamarque / REUTERS
Final Attempt
When that conversation failed to change the outcome, CNN reports that Bondi made a last-ditch effort: she traveled to Florida and met with U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones to press about the timing for bringing charges against one of Mr. Trump’s political adversaries, former CIA Director John Brennan. According to the report, Reding Quiñones warned that his prosecutors believed the Brennan matter was not yet ready for a grand jury.
Reaction and Aftermath
By the time Mr. Trump publicly announced Bondi’s ouster the following day, she had already returned to her hometown of Tampa, Florida. The New York Times reports she became “emotional” when describing her exit to friends and colleagues.
Trump publicly raged at Pam Bondi in an unhinged Truth Social post in September. / @realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Performance Issues and Political Pressure
CNN also reports that Bondi had been under intense pressure to pursue cases against Trump’s political opponents, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff. The president publicly aired frustrations over the lack of prosecutions on Truth Social, posting a message that criticized what he described as “all talk, no action.”
Epstein Files And A Public Flub
Bondi faced additional criticism after she incorrectly told Fox News in February 2025 that a Jeffrey Epstein “client list” was on her desk and would be reviewed. That claim reportedly surprised White House officials and led to restrictions on her media appearances. The FBI and DOJ later issued a joint memo stating they found no evidence of a separate “client list” and that Epstein died by suicide — conclusions that fueled backlash among Mr. Trump’s supporters.
Sources and context: This account is based on reporting from CNN and The New York Times. Details reflect what those outlets reported about conversations and meetings involving Bondi, Mr. Trump, and federal prosecutors.
The sequence of events — a private dismissal, a final meeting with a U.S. attorney, public criticism from the president, and a widely reported media misstep — together help explain how Bondi’s tenure ended amid growing scrutiny and internal friction.
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