Pam Bondi refuses to say Trump lost 2020 election in confirmation hearing

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “You’re trying to get me in a gotcha.” open image in gallery Senator Adam Schiff grilled Pam Bondi on whether she was the ‘intestinal fortitude’ to stand up to Trump Throughout her testimony, Bondi committed herself to the Constitution and to what she called “back to basics” work at the Department of Justice, striking at what she has called the partisan “weaponization” of the agency against perceived political enemies — echoing claims from Trump and his allies who have characterized the federal indictments of the former president as a politically motivated conspiracy. She also claimed to have never heard Trump’s call demanding Georgia election officials “find” enough votes for his victory, nor did she claim to have known about Trump calling January 6 defendants “hostages” and “patriots.” Bondi also said she would “follow the law” when it comes to the appointment of special counsels — despite joining court briefings to argue that Jack Smith was illegally hired. The former Florida attorney general also repeatedly defended Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI director, who has vowed to dismantle the agency and threatened to “come after” Trump’s perceived enemies. … I know that Kash Patel has had 60 jury trials as a public defender, as a prosecutor, he has great intel experience … I have known Kash and I believe Kash is the right person, in the right time, for this job.” open image in gallery Pam Bondi had previously claimed there was fraud in the 2020 election but refused to discuss evidence while testifying during her Senate confirmation hearing for Trump’s attorney general If she becomes attorney general, “you have to be able to say that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election” and “you have to be able to say that January 6 insurrectionists who committed violence shouldn’t be pardoned,” Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal told her.