Attorney General Pam Bondi didn’t wait for Senate Democrats to ask their own pointed questions before she went on the attack Tuesday while testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“You voted to shut the government down,” Bondi said in response to a question from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the panel’s top ranking member, about the legal basis for sending National Guard troops into Chicago.
Bondi described hundreds of homicides in Chicago and argued Trump’s decision to send in the Guard was aimed at addressing violent crime that local police had not been able to contain. She noted that her deputy, Todd Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel were en route to Chicago Tuesday morning.
“I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump,” Bondi said. “If you’re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will.”
Though Bondi’s appearance was expected to generate intense sparring with Democrats, Durbin seemed surprised by the intensity of Bondi’s posture in response to a relatively mild question about the work of the department.
“I’ve been on this committee for more than 20 years. That’s the kind of testimony you expect from this administration,” Durbin said. “A simple question as to whether or not they had a legal rationale for deploying National Guard troops becomes grounds for personal attack. I think it’s a legitimate question. It’s my responsibility.”
