Replacement pick Matt Gaetz wants to deport pro-Palestinian protesters

Just hours after Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination for attorney general, Donald Trump discovered that acceptable face of the MAGA movement to replace it.

Pam Bondi, Florida’s former attorney general, served as the Sunshine State’s top lawyer for eight years and has maintained a long-standing relationship with the president-elect since leaving office.

The former prosecutor is a strong supporter of Israel and has called for a crackdown on pro-Hamas demonstrations that erupted on college campuses last year.

“What really bothers me the most is that these students are at our country’s universities, whether they’re here as Americans or on student visas, and they’re saying, ‘I support Hamas.’ ‘” she told Newsmax.

“Frankly, they need to be taken out of our country or the FBI should question them immediately.”

Ms Bondi previously called Israel “our greatest ally in the world” in an interview with Fox News, and her support was welcomed by Jewish lawmakers.

Robert Wexler, a former representative of the Florida Democratic Party, told Jewish Insider: “When it comes to the interests of the Jewish community and having an attorney general who will fight to protect the Jewish community, we could not do better than Pam Bondi. »

As attorney general, she opposed same-sex marriage, but to no avail. tried to repeal Obamacarewhich guarantees Americans health insurance.

Ms. Bondi appears to be far more qualified than Mr. Gaetz, who practiced law for only a couple of years before entering politics.

But as with the former Florida congressman, her loyalty to Trump is unquestioned.

Eight turbulent days after Gaetz’s nomination was announced, she is likely to calm the concerns of Republican senators who will be asked to confirm her nomination.

They said that many alarmed by the prospect of Mr. Gatz being promoted to the cabinet tableamid allegations – which he denies – of a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old schoolgirl.

Having named a successor, Trump has not been shy about what he expects from Bondi if and when she becomes head of the Justice Department.

While Mr. Trump spent much of his first term complaining that Jeff Sessions, his first attorney general, failed to take control of the department, Mr. Trump has learned his lessons. how he plans his second term.

In a statement on his Truth Social platform, the president-elect said Ms. Bondi would “refocus” the Justice Department on “fighting crime” rather than on Republicans. Trump is the subject of two federal criminal cases.

The message appeared to be aimed both at his new candidate for attorney general and at the media in general.

“Pam served as a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, treating violent criminals very hard and making the streets safe for Florida families,” Trump continued.

“Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop the deadly drug trade and reduce the tragedy of fentanyl overdose deaths that have destroyed so many families across our country. She did such an incredible job.”

However, Ms Bondi’s time as attorney general has not been without controversy – and her association with Mr Trump has sometimes landed her in difficult positions.

In 2014, Ms. Bondi came under fire when she asked Florida’s governor to delay the execution of a killer because it conflicted with one of her campaign events.

She later admitted the mistake, saying that “nothing is more important than justice being done.”

The 59-year-old was also forced to deny claims that she failed to file a lawsuit against Trump University, where students claimed they were cheated out of thousands of dollars in tuition fees, because of a $25,000 donation she received from the reality of that time. TV star.

Mr Trump later agreed to pay $25 million. during his 2016 campaign in a lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general.

After leaving office, Ms. Bondi joined Mr. Trump’s team as one of the lawyers who fought his first impeachment battle.

In his first term, Trump was accused of conditioning military aid to Ukraine on an investigation into political rival Joe Biden, who went on to defeat Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

The then-president was ultimately acquitted by the Senate after a trial, with senators voting largely along party lines.

Ms. Bondi later joined the America First Policy Institute, a MAGA think tank and recruiting site for members of the incoming Trump administration, as head of its legal division.

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