Battle lines are forming in the Senate over Trump’s attorney general nomination after Bondi’s firing
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President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Attorney General Pam Bondi adds another layer of certainty to the Senate, while others in the upper chamber are drawing lines in the sand.
The Senate confirmed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin last month after a race to elevate him from a lawmaker to a Cabinet chief following the firing of Kristi Noem. Lawyers will also be tasked with securing Bondi’s replacement in the coming weeks.
Although Trump has chosen Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) on an interim basis, speculation is rife as to who he will tap as the next attorney general.
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President Donald Trump pauses as he finishes speaking about the war on Iran from the Cross Hall of the White House Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)
Whoever he chooses will have to go through the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Sen. Thom Tillis, RN.C., speaking to CNN that the next nominee must live up to his views on the January 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol.
“The limit of someone going after Pam Bondi ended when I heard them say one thing that justified the events of January 6,” Tillis said. “I was clear about that. So I hope that whoever is appointed to succeed General Bondi is very clear about my position on January 6.”
“That is why I did not support the other two nominees who came through the Judiciary Committee, and I will not support any nominee who thinks that any part of January 6 was valid,” he continued.
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Sen. Thom Tillis, RN.C., has drawn a sharp line in the sand about what it will take for the next attorney general nominee to earn his committee vote. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Tillis will have a key vote on the Republican-led panel that could make or break a nominee’s chances of reaching a full Senate vote. Last year, he heavily criticized Trump’s pick for the top prosecutor in Washington, DC, Ed Martin, over his comments on Jan. 6.
Trump is reportedly eyeing Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin for the job, but whether he clicks with another sitting senator remains an open question.
Some lawmakers in the upper room are reported to want Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to get a job. But Lee — who wants the Senate to pass the Protecting American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — doesn’t seem to like the idea.
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Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is leading the Senate’s push to pass voter ID legislation and laying out several steps Republicans can take to get it done. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
“I’m not going anywhere,” Lee told X.
Then there’s Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., who was previously considered for the job when Trump wins in 2024.
Schmitt has a strong relationship with the president that dates back to his first campaign and has developed into regular invitations to join Trump for rounds of golf. But he turned down the job, choosing to stay in the Senate after winning his seat in 2022.
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He confirmed his decision on X at the time, saying he was “just starting out” in the Senate.
“We need America First activists who not only support the agenda but are willing to stand up to the law and actually fight for it — and the hopes and dreams of the American people,” Schmitt said. “I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and be President Trump’s champion in the Senate.”
