Overview
- Trump removed Bondi on Thursday and named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as acting attorney general.
- Reports from Reuters and other outlets say a wider reshuffle is under review, with FBI Director Kash Patel, DNI Tulsi Gabbard, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer discussed as at risk.
- The White House has publicly asserted Trump’s total confidence in some of those officials, with spokesmen naming Gabbard and Lutnick, even as advisers describe active personnel talks.
- Images shared by reporters showed Bondi’s Justice Department portrait taken down, with one photo appearing to show it in a trash bin, which fed perceptions of a rapid clear-out.
- Advisers link the personnel moves to political fallout from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, higher gas prices, and slipping approval ahead of the midterms, with some noting confirmations could be tougher if the Senate shifts next year.