After Bondi, Is Kash Patel Or Tulsi Gabbard Next On Trump’s Firing List?
Washington: US President Donald Trump has fired Attorney General Pam Bondi, marking the second Cabinet departure in under a month and signalling that his patience with underperforming officials has run out.
Bondi’s exit follows the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last month. Together, the departures have shattered early assurances from aides that Trump’s second term would avoid the revolving-door chaos that defined his first.
“Pam Bondi is a great American patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that she would move “to a much-needed and important new job in the private sector.”
CNN reported, citing sources, that Trump had grown “increasingly impatient” with the pace of investigations into his adversaries, including former FBI Director James Comey and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff. Prosecutors had reportedly cautioned internally that some cases lacked sufficient evidence, but Trump’s pressure continued regardless.
A Cabinet on Edge
Reports now point to a wider churn. Trump has reportedly expressed frustration with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and even Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Prediction markets tracked by Newsweek reflect the unease: platform Kalshi puts Gabbard’s odds of surviving through year’s end at 78 per cent, while Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Patel both sit at 71 per cent.
Gabbard’s standing has been complicated by her refusal to condemn Joe Kent, her former deputy, who resigned after claiming Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the US. According to The Guardian, Trump has directly asked Cabinet members in recent weeks whether he should replace her.
Patel faces problems on multiple fronts. An Iran-backed hacker group recently leaked a decade’s worth of his personal and business emails. Three fired FBI agents have also filed a class action lawsuit against him seeking reinstatement, alleging in an Associated Press report that they were unlawfully dismissed for their involvement in investigations tied to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat — firings the suit describes as part of a broader “retribution campaign.” He is additionally under scrutiny over the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case files.
Hegseth, meanwhile, faces a different kind of pressure. A Pentagon inspector general report from December, cited by CNN, found that he risked endangering US troops by sharing sensitive military operational details on the unclassified Signal app ahead of strikes in Yemen in March 2025.
Chavez-DeRemer is under scrutiny over a 2025 investigation into an alleged inappropriate workplace relationship with an employee.
Even Leavitt was not spared. On Tuesday, when presented with data showing 93 to 97 per cent negative press coverage, Trump turned to her and quipped, “Maybe Karoline is doing a poor job. You’re doing a terrible job.” A White House spokesperson later said the remarks were made in jest, but the public exchange drew immediate attention.
No Final Decisions Yet
Politico, citing sources, reported that Trump is “very angry and he’s going to be moving people,” though no final decisions have been made. The report noted that Trump has previously contemplated firings and then pulled back.
Any reshuffling is reportedly focused on officials Trump believes have “underperformed or who have generated too much negative attention.”
The Atlantic, citing people familiar with White House plans, separately reported that discussions are underway about Patel, Chavez-DeRemer, and Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll potentially departing.
Should Trump move forward, the changes would represent a significant reset for an administration navigating an increasingly difficult political environment.