Acting US Attorney General Says Only Trump Knows Why Pam Bondi Was Dismissed

The acting US attorney general has said that only President Donald Trump knows why Pam Bondi was removed from her post, as he avoided detailed answers about the dismissal and other sensitive matters during his first news conference in the role.

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Todd Blanche, who is serving as acting attorney general after Bondi’s departure, said he remained focused on continuing the work of the Justice Department while expressing strong support for the president.

“I love working for President Trump. It’s the greatest honor of a lifetime,” Blanche said when asked whether he hoped to be nominated permanently to lead the Department of Justice.

He added that he would accept any decision the president makes regarding the position. “If he chooses to nominate somebody else and asks me to go do something else, I will say: ‘Thank you very much, I love you, sir,’” Blanche said.

Asked why Bondi had been dismissed and whether the department’s direction would change, Blanche declined to offer details.

“Nobody has any idea why the attorney general is no longer the attorney general and I’m the acting attorney general except for President Trump,” he said.

Questions over Epstein investigation

Bondi’s position had been under pressure in part due to criticism surrounding the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

Members of Congress had issued a subpoena seeking information about the department’s handling of the case. When asked about the outstanding subpoena from the House Oversight Committee, Blanche said the matter would be left to lawmakers to resolve.

“I’ll leave that to Chairman James Comer and others to figure out,” he said.

Blanche also said he had not decided whether the Justice Department would seek to assert privilege in an effort to block the subpoena.

“I’m not committing to anything,” he said. “I’m just saying I don’t know.”

Response to questions on Iran

During the briefing, Blanche was also asked about comments by Trump related to the ongoing conflict with Iran and whether the president’s proposed actions could raise legal concerns.

The acting attorney general declined to address the question directly, saying the Justice Department provides legal advice to the White House and the Department of Defense as needed.

“The Justice Department supports the White House and the Department of Defense,” Blanche said, adding that the department provides counsel to both agencies.

Leaks and potential subpoenas

Blanche was also asked about reports that Trump had threatened to jail a journalist as part of efforts to identify the source of a leak about missing US Air Force officers during operations in Iran.

Two officers were initially reported missing after their fighter jet was downed in Iranian territory. Both were later rescued.

While declining to discuss the details of any ongoing investigation, Blanche said the Justice Department would examine leaks involving classified information, particularly if they could endanger US personnel.

“We will always investigate” such leaks, he said.

Blanche added that subpoenas could be issued to journalists if investigators believed it was necessary.

“And we will investigate if it means sending a subpoena to the reporter,” he said. “That’s exactly what we should do, and that’s exactly what we will be doing.”

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 8 April 2026