The Attorney General, Pam Bondi, made several avoidable mistakes in handling the Epstein files, which escalated into a political crisis; meanwhile, Trump may have felt that Bondi did not effectively use the Department of Justice to target political opponents. Under multiple pressures, Bondi was fired. On Thursday, Trump announced on Truth Social that Bondi would depart the Department of Justice to take on an "important and urgently needed role" in the private sector. In public, Trump continued to praise Bondi's performance, calling her a "great American patriot" and a "loyal friend," and highlighted that over the past year she had led a large-scale crime-fighting campaign across the nation, achieving significant results that brought homicide rates to their lowest levels since 1900. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will assume the role of Acting Attorney General.
Pressure is also mounting for the Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe. Previously, Joe Kent, the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation, stating in his public letter that he could no longer "act against his conscience" by supporting U.S. military actions against Iran, which he argued did not pose an immediate threat to the United States, and claimed these actions were driven by pressure from Israel and U.S. lobbying groups. Subsequently, Ratcliffe refused to condemn Kent during a congressional hearing, appearing to defend Kent rather than uphold the White House’s position, which angered Trump. According to informed sources, Trump has recently privately asked members of his cabinet whether Ratcliffe should be replaced. It remains unclear whether Trump will actually fire Ratcliffe over this incident. There is currently no clear suitable successor, and some advisers have cautioned Trump that creating a high-profile vacancy before a replacement is confirmed could trigger unnecessary political disruptions.
In the meantime, Trump is also dissatisfied with the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Labor.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861418819213323/
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