Pam Bondi’s departure as attorney general has prompted the usual Kremlinologist speculation. One theory has it that Donald Trump was furious that she may have warned Democrat Eric Swalwell about a planned FBI release of documents detailing his past relationship with a Chinese spy. Bondi’s replacement, Todd Blanche, dismissed these claims as false. Another theory is that the President had finally had enough of her errors over the handling of the Epstein files, given Bondi was recently subpoenaed in a bipartisan effort by the House. And Trump is widely reported to be frustrated at her failure to indict his archenemies, former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Those who are sympathetic to MAGA will have their own reasons for being unhappy with Bondi. Around 23,000 criminal cases were dropped by the DoJ in the first few months of her tenure, including more than 900 cases of federal program fraud. It’s difficult to cut waste and drain the swamp if your Justice Department chooses not to pursue potential fraudsters.
“We love Pam,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “She will be transitioning to a much-needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future.” Whatever the proximate cause for her departure, it’s clear that the President is growing frustrated with his wider team. Kristi Noem was removed from the Department of Homeland Security last month and there is talk that Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard, FBI Director Kash Patel, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick or Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer may be next. The great promise of Trump 2.0 was operational stability. The “you’re fired!” mantra of his first term was supposed to have been left behind. But things have changed.
Trump is gearing up for November’s midterms with his worst-ever approval ratings among independents. Voters are feeling despondent, despite genuine successes by the administration. Illegal border crossings are close to zero, crime is down and inflation is back under control. Yet the White House is failing to convert those successes into support among voters, as we argue in our leading article in the next edition of The Spectator World. Meanwhile, Americans broadly disapprove of the war with Iran. Trump is spending his time on an unpopular foreign conflict rather than touting his domestic successes.
Republicans on Capitol Hill aren’t helping matters. They’ve proven unable to pass the hugely popular SAVE Act, which would require voters to prove US citizenship before casting their ballots. And they’ve failed to pin the blame for airport disruptions on the Democrats undermining DHS funding, as Daniel McCarthy recently wrote for us. The conventional wisdom has been that, while the Democrats might retake the House in the midterms, the GOP was safe in the upper chamber. Prediction markets indicate that the race has seriously tightened over the past few weeks. If Democrats are able to retake the Senate, Trump appointments will struggle at confirmation hearings.
That risk to future appointments means this could be Trump’s last opportunity to shake up his cabinet. For that reason, it seems likely that we will see more departures in the coming weeks. The President needs lieutenants who are able to communicate his successes in the run-up to November. Swing voters want to see competence, discipline and proof that the administration is focusing on the cost of living. Attack dogs like Noem and Bondi may have energized the MAGA base, but horseback adverts and shouting about the Dow Jones was always unlikely to inspire wider confidence.
This article originally appeared in Freddy Gray’s Americano newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.
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