Democrats struggled to challenge Pam Bondi effectively during her confirmation hearing, raising concerns about her past actions and statements.

Washington: The confirmation hearings for Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general, kicked off with a surprisingly civil tone. Compared to the previous day’s chaos, it felt almost calm.
Democrats seemed to accept that Bondi would likely be confirmed, but they still had a chance to question her. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat, pointed out that the real issue wasn’t her skills but her ability to say no when needed.
Even though Bondi’s confirmation seems almost guaranteed, the questions from the committee were crucial. This was their moment to highlight her past, especially her views on the 2020 election and her defense of Trump during his impeachment.
Some of the Democrats, like Blumenthal and Klobuchar, are seasoned prosecutors. They had met with Bondi beforehand, which gave them a heads-up on how she might dodge tough questions.
Unfortunately, some of their questions were a bit awkward, allowing Bondi to sidestep many issues. For instance, when Durbin asked her if Trump lost the 2020 election, she gave a smooth answer but stumbled when discussing her post-election actions in Philadelphia.
It would have been better if they had asked her to explain what she saw and whether she still believes Biden’s win was illegitimate. I doubt she could provide any solid evidence for her claims.
Whitehouse tried to pin Bondi down on whether the DOJ would have an enemies list, but his approach was a bit off. He got her to say she wouldn’t have one, but that doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be other ways to target people.
He also asked about the DOJ’s policy on communication with the White House, but his question was too vague. Any nominee would likely agree to follow the policy, but the real issues lie in the details.
For example, the 2021 memo from Attorney General Garland emphasizes that the DOJ won’t advise the White House on ongoing investigations unless it’s crucial for the President’s duties. But it doesn’t stop the President from reaching out directly to the attorney general.
Asking Bondi how she interprets these rules would have been more insightful than just getting her to promise to follow them.
Overall, it would have been smarter to press Bondi more. Despite her polished demeanor, she has shown glimpses of her MAGA mindset.
When GOP Sen. Cruz talked about the “weaponization” of the DOJ, Bondi jumped in with a bizarre comment about assassination attempts against Trump, trying to link those to the legitimate charges he faces. It’s a stretch, and I wish someone had called her out on it.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com.