Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly pushed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to resign.
Jennifer Jacobs of CBS News first reported that Hegseth had asked George to take early retirement.
The news came just hours after President Donald Trump confirmed the firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) criticized former Attorney General Pam Bondi after President Donald Trump confirmed that he had fired her.
"Bondi handled the Epstein Files in a terrible manner and seriously undermined President Trump," Mace wrote in a Thursday post on social media. "She has stonewalled every effort to hold the guilty accountable. The American people deserve an Attorney General who is transparent and delivers real accountability."
"We look forward to a new Attorney General who is committed to getting justice for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein," she remarked.
Mace also lashed out at former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) after he praised Bondi.
"Pam Bondi will be known as one of the great crime fighters of our time," Gaetz wrote on X. "She is a patriot who has all of our appreciation."
"She arrested exactly no one," Mace shot back.
Fox News legal pundit Jonathan Turley warned that Pam Bondi was a "torpedo in the water" after she was fired as attorney general by President Donald Trump.
"Well, I think that the president obviously is trying to prepare for what he sees as coming," Turley explained on Thursday. "I would say that when Chuck Schumer celebrates this, he should think again. Pam Bondi is still in good favor with not just the president, but most people in that party."
"She's now a torpedo in the water," he continued. "There's a lot of places she could go, including running for office. So I wouldn't celebrate too much if I were the minority leader in that sense."
Top House Republicans were reportedly scrambling after Attorney General Pam Bondi's firing threw a wrench into her possible testimony on files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
"Since Pam Bondi is no longer Attorney General, Chairman Comer will speak with Republican members and the Department of Justice about the status of the deposition subpoena and confer on next steps," a spokesperson for the GOP-controlled House Oversight Committee told NBC News correspondent Ryan Nobles.
"I don't think Democrats are going to give up on that conversation easily," Fox News host Shannon Bream noted on Thursday.
One Fox Business anchor pointed out that the Trump administration had fallen short after promising transparency on the Epstein files.
"Wasn't she subpoenaed by a House committee on the Epstein files?" he asked. "I think, so I don't know if that's, maybe that doesn't happen now.... There were these big promises... big promises of information. And then it always seemed like it. It was a thud, a dud. Nothing happened. And people were like, wait a second. We thought we were going to get transparency. It feels like we're just getting obfuscation."
Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones slammed the White House over an event where President Donald Trump was compared to Jesus Christ.
During his Thursday show, Jones noted that White House adviser Paula Jones had likened Trump to the Christian savior during an Easter celebration. The president also praised hawkish Fox News host Mark Levin at the same event.
"So you've got Trump talking about being seduced by the dark side of Mark Levin," Jones said. "You've got Lindsey Graham making a demonic face, saying he loves war and death, and smiling when he's at Disney World following small children around with a bubble wand in his hand. I mean, this is mental illness. This is insane people on a power trip, out of control."
According to the conspiracy theorist, Democrats were "world-class nuts," and Trump was a "junior nut."
"He's now entering the league of lunaticville," he said of Trump. "So here's Paula White, and I like Trump, having religious leaders... But here she is likening him to Jesus. This was not very popular, so they pulled this video off the White House website."
"And I love hearing Christ being talked about," Jones added. "I think this is a manipulation of American Christians. I don't know if Trump's part of that."
"Pretty shocking stuff. You know, they've gone from demonizing Christianity and everything to now, oh, it's Christianity, but it's this new brand that is a religious war. And that's what we see happening here."
As Jones was on the air, the news broke that Trump had fired Attorney General Pam Bondi and replaced her with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
"This is beyond cuckoo town," he asserted. "Todd Blanche is an absolute menace."
"This is just Twilight Zone," Jones concluded. "Trump has gone from 90% good to 90% bad."
A CNN analyst was doubtful that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, whom President Donald Trump selected to replace now ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi to serve as acting attorney general, would last long in the job.
Senior justice correspondent Evan Perez described how Blanche, who served as Trump's personal attorney and has represented him in various legal matters, including criminal cases, has had a good relationship with the president — for now — while serving as a key legal adviser on matters involving the Justice Department and potential investigations into Trump's political opponents.
"I think that that has helped save him so far, right from some of the, some of the anger of the president," Perez said. "But I think in the end, I think the president is very unhappy with how the department has done what he wants them to do. And some of that is Todd Blanche, or at least a lot of some of the blame goes to Todd Blanche as well. And so we don't know how long he'll last after this, depending on who the president appoints."
Perez also described how unusual it was that Blanche recently spoke at CPAC in suburban Dallas, Texas, bragging at the conservative political event about removing DOJ employees "who were simply doing their jobs."
"These are people, FBI agents, these are prosecutors who were doing their jobs," Perez said. "They were carrying out court orders that were issued by judges."
The analyst said he was stunned by Blanche's comments and what his remarks could mean for potential future litigation.
"There is absolutely nothing I've ever heard from a political leader at the Justice Department that really rivals something like this because, and by the way, the other thing that's going to happen is that every single person that's suing the department and the government over their firings now has that soundbite to use in their lawsuits."
It's unclear how long Blanche could be in the new role.
"But I'll say this on Blanche's tenure, if I were him, I would not be too comfortable in how long I'm going to be around because the same dissatisfaction that the president has with Pam Bondi's job performance is really also applies to Todd Blanche, because he is the person who runs the department day to day," Perez said.
"A lot of the grumbling behind the scenes about the performance of the department in carrying out the president's retribution agenda has also been about Todd Blanche because people say inside, they say that that's where things go to die, that things have been moving very slowly, that he has not been willing to move things quickly enough," Perez added. "Now, in Todd Blanche's defense, I would say that he understands the reality of how things work, right? That you can't just like go indict people. You need to try to have evidence. You need to figure out where you can best bring cases. And then there's some evidence that's just not there."
Speaking just as Fox News was reporting that Attorney General Pam Bondi was relieved of her duties by Donald Trump, MS NOW’s Laura Barrón-López listed off possible long-term candidates for the job which included former Trump lawyer Alina Habba.
Speaking with host Chris Jansing, the White House correspondent reported, “I know that Fox News is reporting that this decision has come down, but our sources have told us that it was going to be, you know, potentially as early as today, but that she is out.“
“A lot of that frustration from the president has been building for some time now for months and it has more to do with her prosecutions or her inability to get cases fully through that have to do with prosecuting the president's enemies,” she elaborated. “Now, of course, there was also the handling of the [Jeffrey] Epstein files that have frustrated a number of the president's allies. But again, this is something that sources had told us who are familiar with the conversations is happening imminently.”
“Now when it comes to who could replace her, there are a number of people that are on that potential shortlist, and we're not sure exactly who the president's final choice is, but that could include Lee Zeldin, the EPA Administrator. It could also include Jeanine Pirro, the current U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.”
“We also heard that Alina Habba was potentially in the mix –– she was the former U.S. attorney for New Jersey, who was disqualified by a judge. There was also some talk around Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) –– that was what sources told Jake Traylor.”
- YouTube youtu.be
President Donald Trump announced that Attorney General Pam Bondi would not have a role in his administration after she was fired from her current job.
In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump personally confirmed that he had ousted Bondi.
"Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900. We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future, and our Deputy Attorney General, and a very talented and respected Legal Mind, Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General," the president said.
Fox News reported earlier that Trump had promised Bondi a job in the administration, but he contradicted that on Thursday.
A decision by Donald Trump to praise Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) for working with House Majority Leader Mike Johnson (R-LA) to get funding for the Department of Homeland Security did not sit well with all of the president’s hardcore supporters.
On Thursday morning, the president took to Truth Social to write, in part: “Thank you to all of our Great Congressional Republicans, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Senate Leader John Thune, for their work this week. Republicans are UNIFIED, and moving forward on a plan that will reload funding for our FANTASTIC Border Patrol and Immigration Enforcement Officers.”
MAGA supporters took offense based upon Trump’s previous promise not to allow the funding to move forward unless his treasured SAVE Act was passed –– which has not come to pass on Thune's watch.
On Truth Social, MAGA fans lashed out at Thune with multiple accusations that he is not conservative enough, and multiple versions of “Republican in Name Only” as either “RINO” or "RHINO."
“Let Trump be Trump!” fan Salbo wrote, “Why are you thanking Thune? He stabbed us all in the back and you're thanking him for it? He must be removed from the leadership position. He's not Maga. He is definitely a Democrat and maybe a far left Democrat at that. We don't need these stinking Democrat rinos controlling this country. Republicans in the Senate get rid of phony in a secret committee vote. Otherwise he is going to bring this party down to it knees.”
“Never Surrender” conservative BadCompany 247, contributed, “Nah. Dont trust em. Still replacing them w AMERICA FIRST MAGA candidates no incumbents but Gill, Burchette…I am donating directly to each candidate, no longer GOP.”
“John Thune is a weak coward! Pass the SAVE Act! Talking filibuster!” urged frequent Trump re-poster Russ Barnes.
FL TrumpGal was ahead of the curve, attacking Thune while calling for the ouster of Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was relieved of her duties by the president.
She wrote, “I love you Mr President BUT you are thanking the worst leader we have THUNE who is a p---- and you don’t think he caved to the Democrats who won’t pass the save America act who won’t fund certain things unbelievable well guess what he did. He needs to be removed just like Pam Bondi.”
“JOHN THUNE IS NOT A CONSERVATIVE, NOR DOES HE CARE ONE BIT ABOUT AMERICA,” noted Christian conservative Evenstar858.
“In my opinion, John Thune has TDS. Why is he so hesitant on passing the Save America Act? I believe, in my opinion, that Thune is compromised, just like Cornyn in Texas. Thune needs to end the Filibuster, now. Do your job, Thune or resign,” demanded Craig.
The internet erupted as Attorney General Pam Bondi was fired from her job as the head of the Department of Justice Thursday.
President Donald Trump reportedly let Bondi know she would be removed from the role late Wednesday, just as he was preparing to address the nation on the Iran war.
Plenty of people reacted to the news online:
"Poor Pam, fully sold her soul to do what she thought he wanted and then gets fired for it," professor and author Bethany Mannon wrote on Bluesky.
"To be replaced with someone worse, as is their m.o. (if that's possible)," Jenin Younes, National legal director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, wrote via X.
"Couldn't have happened to a more deserving AG!" James Robbins, who self-describes as a disabled Army veteran, wrote on X.
"The Mob is all about loyalty," technologist and geographer Linda Stevens wrote on X.
"Pam Bondi shouldn't have been there in the first place. I can't wait to see her subpoenaed and this time she won't be yelling," Sam. K, liberal online commentator, wrote on X.
Attorney General Pam Bondi's ousting was reportedly spurred by President Donald Trump's suspicion that she went behind his back to tell his enemy that a potentially damaging FBI investigation was coming.
Trump spoke with Bondi just before his Iran speech on Wednesday night, letting her know she would be removed from the job, Phillip Nieto, political reporter for The Daily Mail, wrote on X.
"Trump's reasoning for the sudden dismissal comes in part because the President believes Bondi tipped off Eric Swalwell about the FBI’s efforts to release investigative documents related to his relationship with Christine Fang," Nieto wrote.
Swalwell, a Democratic congressman and current California governor candidate, has been a prominent critic of Trump. He has frequently appeared on cable news to discuss the president's legal troubles and political controversies. In retaliation, Trump has repeatedly targeted Swalwell, including efforts to publicize an old FBI counterintelligence file involving Swalwell's relationship with a suspected Chinese intelligence operative, Fang, though Swalwell was never accused of wrongdoing in connection to that.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will reportedly temporarily replace Pam Bondi as attorney general.
After speaking to President Donald Trump, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy said that he had confirmed that Bondi had been fired.
"She is going to get a different job within the administration," Doocy said of Bondi. "It doesn't sound like there is any bad blood between her and President Trump, but it does seem like they want her to go and do something else. And in an interim role, she will be replaced by Todd Blanche, who is currently her deputy at the Justice Department. So it doesn't sound like Blanche is being elevated long-term to the Attorney General."
Lara Trump commented on Bondi's firing by insisting that she had "done an incredible job."
"I mean, this is a very tough job to come in and be Attorney General of the United States," she argued. "I give her a lot of credit for what she's been able to do. There was a lot of pressure surrounding a whole host of different things coming into, you know, the president's second term in office. And I think she's been great. You know, she's cracked down on crime. She's done an incredible job, you know, in this role. And yeah, we love her in Florida. And I think the United States owes her a debt of gratitude."
President Donald's Trump prime time address on the Iran war rattled Republican strategists in battleground states.
The 79-year-old president declared Wednesday night that Operation Epic Fury was nearly complete but indicated military operations would intensify over the “next two to three weeks," but he offered conflicting objections and insisted spiking fuel prices were temporary, and GOP strategists told Politico he had not given them much to work with for their candidates.
“What the hell did he just say?” said one GOP strategist in a battleground state. “A quick recap and a path forward would’ve been helpful. Instead, it was nonsense left for Sean Hannity to articulate.”
Public opinion had shifted away from Trump's domestic agenda before his decision to launch the war, and that's cutting into GOP approval as they campaign for this year's midterm elections.
"Conversations with more than half a dozen operatives and party chairs across seven battleground states revealed their anxiety that the prolonged conflict is overshadowing the White House’s affordability message and could hurt their chances of holding onto power this November," Politico reported.
Trump continues to insist the U.S. was enjoying “the strongest economy in history” with “no inflation," which they told the news outlet sounded like President Joe Biden's assurances that sounded hollow to voters.
“Not sure people will buy the strong economy part,” said Todd Gillman, a Michigan GOP district chair. “Inflation is definitely more under control than it was under Biden, but the prices haven’t come down on a lot of things.”
Republicans told voters should be relieved that Trump talked about an exit strategy, but some criticized his lack of specifics about when the war would end or why he even decided to launch it Feb. 28.
“I think it could’ve been a little more specific or expanded on the exact threats that Iran poses to the U.S.,” said one Wisconsin-based GOP strategist. “I don’t know the extent he’s able to get into that stuff based off intelligence, but maybe he could have been a little bit more expansive there.”
The timing of the address also puzzled some GOP strategists.
“It’s something that probably should have been done at the beginning of the conflict,” said Dennis Lennox, a Michigan-based GOP strategist.
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