After AG Pam Bondi’s Exit, Trump Eyes More Firings, Including Tulsi Gabbard and Karoline Leavitt

On April 2, President Donald Trump used his Truth Social account to announce that Attorney General Pam Bondi would be stepping down from her role and “transitioning to a much-needed and important new job in the private sector.” Although Trump’s post struck an amicable tone, reports suggest he had grown frustrated with Bondi, ultimately leading to her dismissal.

Fox News, which first reported the changes at the Department of Justice, said Trump informed Bondi of her firing after his speech on the war against Iran. Her departure comes just weeks after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was also reportedly pushed out amid scrutiny over her handling of the administration’s immigration crackdown and her response to the Minnesota shootings that left Renée Good and Alex Pretti dead.

Although the removal of a Cabinet member remains significant, such turnover has been common since Trump’s first term. During his first term in the White House, his Cabinet saw unusually high turnover, with 14 of 15 executive department heads leaving office early through resignation or dismissal.

But according to reports, Noem and Bondi may not be the last this term. Trump is also reportedly considering replacing Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, as well as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

In an exclusive report by The Guardian, sources said Trump has already privately asked Cabinet members whether he should replace Gabbard over her testimony at a worldwide threats hearing last month, where she declined to condemn Joe Kent, a former director of the United States National Counterterrorism Center, who resigned days earlier following Trump’s decision to begin an armed conflict with Iran.

According to two sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Guardian, Trump expressed particular frustration with Gabbard for appearing to defend Kent and for being reluctant to defend the administration’s decision to attack Iran.

Asked Sunday whether he still had confidence in Gabbard’s leadership, Trump offered a mixed endorsement. “Yeah, sure,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I mean, she’s a little bit different in her thought process than me, but that doesn’t make somebody not available to serve.”

As noted by the outlet, it remains unclear whether Trump will actually fire Gabbard, as there are no clear candidates to replace her, and advisers have warned that creating a high-profile vacancy without a successor in place could cause political distractions.

Another official under scrutiny who, according to early reports, could also be replaced is White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Reports of a possible resignation surfaced this week after Trump suggested Leavitt may be behind the “bad publicity” he receives.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office while signing an executive order on March 31, Trump suggested Leavitt was not doing a good job in her role. Leavitt is expected to go on maternity leave next month.

Referencing the 2024 presidential election, he said, “I got 93% bad publicity. Some people say 97%, but between 93 and 97. A person that gets 97% of bad … maybe Karoline’s doing a poor job, I don’t know.”

Trump then turned to address Leavitt directly, telling her, “You’re doing a terrible job,” as reported by PEOPLE.

The outlet noted that a White House representative said Trump’s comments were made as a joke, but the president doubled down and asked reporters, “Shall we keep her? I think we’ll keep her,” before continuing his criticism of the media.

“But, I get 93-97% bad press, fake press, all fake. I won in a landslide. When you get 93-97 bad stories, bad press, and you win in a landslide, you know what that says? People don’t believe the press,” added the president, who was elected with 49.8% of the popular vote, without providing a source for his figures.