WASHINGTON - US President-elect Donald Trump tapped Pam Bondi, a staunch ally who helped defend the ex-leader against impeachment, as US attorney general following firebrand Matt Gaetz's withdrawal from the running.
Gaetz's retreat amid sexual misconduct allegations signalled limits to Trump's power, even as the president-elect prepares to retake the White House with his Republican Party also in control of both chambers of Congress.
The nomination of Bondi, a former Florida attorney general who served as a surrogate during the 2024 campaign and pushed to de-legitimise vote counting in swing state Pennsylvania in 2020, could be seen as a useful tool for Trump in his attempt to settle personal grievances.
"For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponised against me and other Republicans -- Not anymore," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network in announcing Bondi's nomination.
Bondi was a member of Trump's legal team during his first Senate impeachment trial, in which he was alleged to have pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, using aid as leverage, to hand over political dirt on Biden.
"Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again," Trump wrote, adding that she is "smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter."
Trump has made several eye-catching selections for top roles, including Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary and billionaire Elon Musk to head a government cost-cutting unit.
The exit of Gaetz was the first setback for Trump and Vice-president elect JD Vance in placing key allies in top positions, but his confirmation by the Senate was widely seen as doomed due to lack of support from fellow Republicans.