President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, April 2, representing the second removal of a Cabinet official in his second term.
Bondi’s ouster is the latest example of Trump’s leadership style as president, marked by frequent shake-ups at the top of his administration. Lawmakers of both parties accused Bondi of botching the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which Congress directed in December.
From Bondi to Kristi Noem, here are notable instances when Trump used his signature catchphrase — “You’re fired” — as president over the years.
Bondi became the latest member of the Trump administration to be shown the door, with the president announcing the move in a post on Truth Social. He praised Bondi as a “great American patriot and a loyal friend,” adding that she would transition to the private sector.
In response to her ouster, Bondi said she would help transition the Justice Department office to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and continue supporting Trump and his administration.
“Leading President Trump‘s historic and highly successful efforts to make America safer and more secure has been the honor of a lifetime,” Bondi wrote on social media, calling her tenure “the most consequential first year of the Department of Justice in American history.”
Noem, who served as Homeland Security secretary and oversaw Trump’s promise of mass deportations, was fired on March 5, not long after lawmakers grilled her about her department’s massive spending.
Her exit followed a dispute over a $220 million Homeland Security advertising campaign that prominently featured Noem. She said Trump approved the ads, a claim the president denied.
During her tenure, Noem became a frequent target of criticism as the administration intensified immigration enforcement. Her leadership at the department drew heightened scrutiny amid broader public backlash and national attention surrounding violent incidents in Minneapolis, including the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens.
Rex Tillerson, who served as secretary of State during Trump’s first term, was fired by the president in March 2018 after returning from an Africa trip.
During his tenure, Tillerson was often seen as operating outside Trump’s inner circle and at times publicly diverged from the president’s views. Trump said he decided to dismiss Tillerson, citing disagreements that included North Korea diplomacy, steel and aluminum tariffs, and the Iran nuclear agreement.
Mike Pompeo replaced Tillerson as head of the State Department.
Jeff Sessions, who served as U.S. attorney general, was fired by Trump after a year of intense scrutiny from the White House.
His exit, a resignation forced by Trump, came after the president criticized Sessions over his decision to recuse himself from the Justice Department’s inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
The president named the attorney general’s chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, to serve as interim attorney general.
Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser until he was dismissed by the president in September 2019, following sharp disagreements over foreign policy.
Trump announced the move in a social media post, writing that he and Bolton “disagreed strongly” on multiple issues and that Bolton’s services were no longer needed at the White House.
Bolton publicly disputed Trump’s account, saying he had not been fired but instead offered to resign.
“I offered to resign last night, and President Trump said, ‘Let’s talk about it tomorrow,'” Bolton said at the time.
Anthony Scaramucci served as White House communications director during Trump’s first term for just 11 days, making him one of the shortest‑tenured senior officials of the Trump administration.
His brief tenure drew scrutiny over his lack of communications experience and a confrontational style that created tension inside the West Wing. Scaramucci also publicly vowed to root out leaks from within the administration and said he would fire staff members found speaking to the media without authorization.
Trump stunned the political world in May 2017 after firing James Comey as FBI director, an abrupt ending to a tenure marked by political controversies ranging from the Trump campaign’s connections to Russia to Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified emails.
In recommending Comey’s firing, the Justice Department leadership excoriated Comey for his handling of the investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server during her time as secretary of State. In a letter to Comey released by the White House, Trump agreed he “was not able to effectively lead the bureau.”
Democrats — including some who had previously attacked Comey for his handling of the Clinton probe — saw Trump’s firing as a blatant attempt to short-circuit the Russia investigation.
Contributing: Bart Jansen, Terry Collins, Sarah Wire, Ryan W. Miller, Gregory Kote, and Michael Loria, USA TODAY
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.