Former Attorney General Pam Bondi was losing favor among Americans across the political spectrum in the months before President Trump fired her on Thursday.
Bondi’s net favorability sank to -26 percentage points in mid-February — with 23 percent of the country viewing her favorably and 49 percent viewing her unfavorably — and remained at -25 percentage points in early March, according to YouGov and The Economist surveys.
What the Left Is Saying
Democrats have soured dramatically on Bondi throughout her tenure. Her net favorability among Democrats sank another 17 points to -75 percentage points in the latest polling, down from -35 when Trump took office. Progressive critics pointed to Bondi’s handling of the Justice Department as symptomatic of broader concerns about the administration’s approach to civil liberties and accountability.
The Epstein controversy proved particularly damaging. In mid-July 2025, Bondi issued a Justice Department memo stating there was no evidence indicating Jeffrey Epstein kept a so-called client list — despite Bondi saying just months earlier that the list was "sitting on my desk right now." The memo, which also reaffirmed that Epstein died by suicide, drew sharp scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers and civil rights advocates who accused the department of obfuscating on behalf of powerful interests.
Democrats in Congress have called for greater transparency around the Epstein matter, and some progressive groups argued Bondi’s departure signaled continued instability in a department facing multiple constitutional challenges.
What the Right Is Saying
Even as Bondi’s overall numbers declined, Republicans continued to view her favorably. Her net favorability among Republicans stood at +28 percentage points in the latest polling — down from +41 when Trump took office but still positive.
Trump praised Bondi as "a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend" in a post on Truth Social, noting she "faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year." The president said Bondi would be "transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector" and thanked her for her service.
Conservative commentators noted that Bondi remained a loyal defender of the administration’s priorities and pointed to her solid support among GOP voters as evidence of continued alignment with the base. The firing was framed as part of a normal transition rather than a repudiation.
What the Numbers Show
The polling data reveals a stark trajectory. When Bondi began Trump’s second term in January 2025, her net favorability was +2 percentage points. It slowly declined throughout the year, hitting -5 in February 2025, -12 in April 2025, and -18 in mid-July. After a brief rebound to -14 in late July, the decline resumed, reaching -26 in February 2026.
The share of Americans viewing Bondi unfavorably doubled from 24 percent when Trump took office to 48 percent in the latest polling. Meanwhile, the share viewing her favorably remained relatively stable — 26 percent in January 2025 versus 23 percent in March 2026.
The decline was bipartisan. Republicans dropped from +41 to +28 net favorability. Independents fell from +1 to -29. Democrats went from -35 to -75.
Bondi is the second high-profile cabinet member Trump has fired in recent weeks. Kristi Noem was replaced as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in early March.
The Bottom Line
Pam Bondi’s ouster came after months of declining public support across every political group. While Republicans still view her favorably, the magnitude of decline among independents and Democrats suggests broader erosion of confidence in her leadership. The Epstein memo controversy appears to have been a turning point that never fully reversed. Her successor, former Trump personal defense attorney Todd Blanche, takes over an Attorney General’s office facing multiple legal challenges and continued scrutiny from both parties. Watch for how Blanche’s favorability numbers develop in coming months as he steps into a role that has proven politically treacherous.