• Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • © 2026 ABC News
Live Updates
ABC News

Bondi hearing live updates: Bondi suggests Jack Smith's conduct is 'horrible'

PHOTO: Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025.
2:31
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Pam Bondi says there won't be 'enemies list' at Justice Department
By Ivan Pereira, Alexander Mallin, Peter Charalambous, Julia Reinstein
Last Updated: January 15, 2025, 4:56 PM

President-elect Donald Trump's choice to head the Justice Department -- former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi -- faced questions for more than five hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

Democrats asked about her vow to "prosecute the prosecutors—the bad ones," referring to special counsel Jack Smith and other DOJ lawyers who investigated Trump. Democrats on the committee also pressed Bondi on Jan. 6, the 2020 presidential election results, and how she would be independent of hypothetical Trump demands.

Republicans on the committee spent a lot of their time criticizing the DOJ under the Biden Administration, alleging it was weaponized to target Trump.

The committee will reconvene to hear from outside witnesses on Thursday.

Key Headlines

  • Democrats on Bondi's chances: 'the odds are in her favor'
  • Bondi praises Capitol Police, evades commenting on Jan. 6 rioters' violence
  • Durbin questions Bondi about Patel's support of QAnon
  • Bondi warns of rising crime, attacks Schiff
  • Bondi says there are no discussions about probing political enemies
Here's how the news is developing:

Jan 15, 2025 4:56 PM

Bondi dodges question of who won 2020 election for 3rd time

For the third time during Wednesday's hearing, Bondi dodged when asked who won the 2020 presidential election.

"We want an attorney general who bases decisions on facts," Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono said. "So, I want to ask you a factual question. Who won the 2020 presidential election?"

"Joe Biden is the president of the United States," Bondi replied.

Hirono accused Bondi of refusing to directly answer the question of who won.

"I can say that Donald Trump won the 2024 election. I may not like it, but I can say it," Hirono said. "You cannot say who won the 2020 presidential election. It's disturbing that you can't."


Jan 15, 2025 4:41 PM

Bondi doesn't commit to enforcing pending TikTok ban

Blumenthal asked whether she would enforce the TikTok ban, which is slated to begin on Sunday.

Bondi cited the pending Supreme Court case and claimed she could not comment. Trump once pushed for a ban but has come against the bipartisan bill approved last year that would ban it unless its owners divested from Chinese ownership.


Jan 15, 2025 4:46 PM

Blumenthal calls out Bondi for dodging question about 2020 election integrity

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he was "deeply disturbed" by some of Bondi's responses during the hearing, particular her earlier not answering directly when asked whether Trump lost the 2020 election.

"You have to be able to say that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election," he said. "You dodged that question when you were asked directly by Senator Durbin."

PHOTO: Pam Bondi Attends Confirmation Hearing To Be Attorney General
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images


Jan 15, 2025 4:28 PM

Bondi questioned about resigning if asked to do illegal act

Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons questioned Bondi again about her independence -- and if she would resign from her post if she were asked to do something illegal or unethical.

Coons noted Donald Trump's attorneys general in his first term were fired for failing to cooperate with his orders.

Bondi said she would not talk about hypotheticals and reiterated her statement that she would follow the law.

"Senator, I wouldn't work at a law firm, I wouldn't be a prosecutor, I wouldn't be attorney general If anyone ask me to do something improper, and I felt I had to carry that out, of course I would not do that," she said.

PHOTO: Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters


Jan 15, 2025 5:25 PM

Tillis says it's 'absurd, unfair' to ask about Jan 6 pardons

Without asking Bondi a direct question, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis attacked Democrats for asking Bondi whether she would support pardons for violent Jan. 6 rioters -- even after Bondi declined to answer directly earlier in the hearing whether such a move would be acceptable to her.

"I find it hard to believe that the president of the United States, or you, would look at facts that were used to convict the violent people on January the sixth," he said.

Despite Tillis' statement, Trump has made clear his plans to pardon a large number of Jan. 6 defendants once he takes office, and his transition has repeatedly declined to give clarity on the scope of those pardons.


GMA Newsletters

Sign up for our newsletters to get GMA delivered to your inbox every morning!

Up Next in news

PHOTO: Ashly Robinson, an influencer who goes by the name Ashlee Jenae, is pictured in a social media post.

Family seeks answers after influencer Ashlee Jenae is found dead on vacation in Tanzania

April 14, 2026
PHOTO: Lynette and Scott, who asked ABC News not to use their last names, said they received an email with a misspelled word that led them to become victims of a mortgage fraud.

Couple shares warning after nearly losing down payment in mortgage fraud

April 10, 2026
PHOTO: Video shows a train clipping a school bus in Sumter County, Florida.

Student speaks out after train clips school bus in incident caught on camera

April 8, 2026

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • Shop FAQs
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap

© 2026 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 

© 2026 ABC News