Bondi clashes with Democrats as she struggles to turn page on turmoil over Epstein files

Attorney General Pam Bondi defends Trump amidst Epstein file turmoil, clashing with Democrats over the Justice Department's handling of abuse victims.

Attorney General Pam Bondi launched into a wide-ranging, passionate defence of U.S. President Donald Trump, repeatedly shouting at Democrats during a combative hearing in which she postured herself as the Republican’s chief protector and tried to turn the page from persistent criticism of the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Besieged by questions over Epstein and accusations of a weaponised Justice Department, Ms. Bondi aggressively pivoted in an extraordinary speech in which she mocked her Democratic questioners, praised Mr. Trump over the performance of the stock market and openly aligned herself as in sync with a president whom she painted as a victim of past impeachments and investigations.

“You sit here and you attack the president and I’m not going to have it,” Ms. Bondi said. “I am not going to put up with it.” With victims of Epstein sitting behind her in the hearing room, Ms. Bondi defended the department’s handling of the files related to the wealthy financier’s sex trafficking investigation that have dogged her tenure. But she repeatedly refused to directly answer questions from Democrats who have accused her of perpetuating a cover-up and ignoring victims.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Bondi told the victims to come forward to law enforcement with any information about her abuse and said she was “deeply sorry” for what they had suffered.

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