Trump Fired Bondi for Not Being Corrupt Enough, Expert Says

Legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin claims the former Florida AG was dismissed for failing to prosecute Trump's political enemies.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 10:20pm

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A dimly lit, cinematic painting of an empty courtroom, with a single judge's gavel sitting on a wooden table, casting long shadows across the room. The scene conveys a sense of solemnity and unease, reflecting the concerns over the politicization of the Justice Department.The firing of Florida's former attorney general raises questions about the Trump administration's efforts to politicize the Justice Department.NYC Today

President Donald Trump fired former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi not because she did her job poorly, but because she was not corrupt enough, according to legal expert Jeffrey Toobin. Toobin argues that Trump wanted Bondi to abuse her office and prosecute his political enemies, but she failed to do so effectively, leading to her dismissal.

Why it matters

Toobin's claims highlight concerns about the politicization of the Justice Department under the Trump administration and the president's apparent desire to use the attorney general's office to target his political opponents.

The details

Toobin wrote in The New York Times that Trump was upset with Bondi for failing to get convictions against former FBI Director James Comey, Senator Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The president also reportedly criticized Bondi for notifying Representative Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) about an investigation into his alleged relationship with an accused Chinese spy.

  • In September, Trump publicly blasted Bondi for her failure to prosecute his political enemies.
  • On Monday, the president began making private calls about the wisdom of firing Bondi.

The players

Jeffrey Toobin

A legal analyst and writer for The New York Times who made the claim that Trump fired Bondi for not being corrupt enough.

Pam Bondi

The former Attorney General of Florida who was fired by President Trump.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who fired Bondi.

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What they’re saying

“The fact that Ms. Bondi has failed in these abusive prosecutorial efforts is cause for relief, not dismissal. It's the rest of her record that has turned the Justice Department into an oxymoron that will take years, if not decades, to fix.”

— Jeffrey Toobin, Legal Analyst

“I think Pam Bondi's legacy as an attorney general will be as an abject failure. And I think there's broad agreement on that. Start with the Epstein files.”

— Elie Honig, Former Federal Prosecutor and Legal Analyst

What’s next

Experts suspect Trump will have trouble finding a replacement for Bondi who is willing to compromise their credibility on his behalf as she has done.

The takeaway

Toobin's claims raise serious concerns about the politicization of the Justice Department under the Trump administration and the president's apparent desire to use the attorney general's office to target his political opponents, rather than uphold the rule of law.