They were loud and prominent personalities in Donald Trump’s second term in office: Within just a few weeks and in the middle of the war against Iran, the US President fired two loyal followers in key departments: former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and now Justice Minister Pam Bondi. Critics see a possible diversionary tactic.
April 3, 2026, 6:35 a.mApril 3, 2026, 6:35 a.m
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi.Image: keystone
In his first term in office (2017 to 2021), Trump was even more rigorous in his cabinet reshuffle. There was an extraordinary amount of personnel turnover, which overshadowed his entire agenda. The second term began under different auspices, as Trump had chosen loyal followers from the outset. It is all the more astonishing that he is now separating from two female ministers.
Why is Trump restructuring his cabinet?
Poor poll numbers and election campaign
Things haven’t been going well for the 79-year-old for a while: Even before the start of the war, which was accompanied by massive increases in oil prices, Trump was under domestic political pressure. At the same time, the midterm elections in the US Parliament in November are approaching – in which the narrow Republican majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate is at stake. The election campaign has actually already begun.
A new survey by the market research company SSRS Opinion Panel on behalf of the TV channel CNN suggests that Americans’ dissatisfaction with the way Trump carries out his office has never been higher at 64 percent during his two terms in office.
Trump’s biggest problem: the Epstein scandal
The president had regularly intervened in Bondi’s department. He publicly instructed the 60-year-old to take legal action against his political opponents. Bondi tried to do this several times – but Trump obviously didn’t do it quickly or rigorously enough.
Bondi’s undoing was probably caused by the scandal surrounding the extremely rich sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019, when the investigation files were published. Decades ago, he ran an abuse ring that victimized young women and minors. Epstein had the best contacts in high society in the USA. Trump, who was once friends with Epstein, also appears in the files. But that alone is not evidence of criminal behavior.
Bondi, whose department was responsible for the case, could not get the issue off the table: There was criticism of redacted files, inadequate protection of victims and Bondi became entangled in contradictions surrounding an alleged Epstein client list. The case became a burden for Trump.
Epstein questioning Bondis now superfluous?
In Washington, another aspect is now coming into focus when dealing with the Epstein scandal: In March, the Control Committee of the US House of Representatives summoned Bondi to question her about her role in the publication of the Epstein files. She is actually supposed to testify before the committee in just under two weeks – does that still apply?
The ranking Democrat on the committee, Robert Garcia, wrote on Platform X that Bondi and Trump may believe that their firing exempts them from testifying. “They are wrong – and we look forward to hearing their testimony under oath.” Republican Representative Nancy Mace, who supported Bondi’s subpoena, also emphasized on the platform that she was sticking to it.
However, The Hill portal quotes a spokesman for Republican committee chairman James Comer as saying that the committee could still change its decision: “Since Pam Bondi is no longer Attorney General, Chairman Comer will speak to the Republican members and the Justice Department about the status of the subpoena to testify under oath and discuss the next steps.”
Brutal raids on migrants hurt Trump
At the beginning of March, Trump separated from then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. In the weeks and months before, various things had become her undoing – but because of her position, she was particularly prominent in support of Trump’s increasingly unpopular, aggressive deportation policy.
Recently, ICE officers patrolled the airports.Image: keystone
After federal officials shot two US citizens during their operations against migrants at the beginning of the year, nationwide protests against Trump’s sometimes seemingly martial migration policy formed in the USA. The US President was then forced to backtrack. And in the US state of Minnesota – the latest prominent location of the raids – an end to the large-scale operations was announced.
However, the conflicts over Trump’s migration policy have not been resolved after Noem’s departure: the Department of Homeland Security has had a funding gap for around 50 days. Democrats and Republicans have still not been able to agree on a budget for the department because of a dispute over the controversial deportation raids. (sda/dpa)