Attorney General nominee laid waste to Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) during her Senate confirmation hearing.
Padilla employed the same line of questioning as many of his colleagues who sought to relitigate the fallout of the 2020 presidential election and President-elect Donald Trump’s claims that it was stolen via voter fraud.
He asked whether Bondi would retract her claim that Trump won in Pennsylvania. The nominee began her answer by saying she “traveled to Pennsylvania, and let me tell you what I saw firsthand.”
Padilla did not bother to let her finish, pushing her to simply answer “yes” or “no.”
“Your job will be, I'm speaking, your job will be to protect voters and election workers, not to undermine and dox them,” Padilla said. “Now, I know that earlier you agreed that Joe Biden is, in fact, President, but many of the President-elect’s inner circle continue to spread the big lie about the 2020 election.”
“I guess you don’t want to hear my answer about Pennsylvania,” Bondi said.
NEW: Pam Bondi CLAPS BACK at Dem Senator in heated exchange about the 2020 election.
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) January 15, 2025
PADILLA: “Will you now retract your previous statements that Trump won Pennsylvania in the 2020 election, yes or no?”
BONDI: “Senator, I traveled to Pennsylvania, and let me tell you what I saw… pic.twitter.com/NAdnwDazNu
Instead of allowing Bondi to respond, Padilla tried to move on while continuing to badger the nominee. Bondi replied, “I’m not going to be bullied by you, Senator Padilla.”
Padilla doubled down and asked, “Can you tell me in this committee what the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment says?”
Bondi shot back, “Senator, I'm here to answer your questions. I'm not here to do your homework and study for you,” before Padilla cut her off again, pressing her to discuss the 14th Amendment.
Bondi responded:
Senator, the 14th Amendment we all know addresses birthright citizenship. I've been a state prosecutor. I've been a state AG. I look forward to even working with you and the people of California, if I am confirmed as the 87th Attorney General of the United States of America. I didn't take your homework assignment. I'm sorry. I was preparing for today.
Pam Bondi to Senator Alex Padilla:
— AmericanPapaBear (@AmericaPapaBear) January 15, 2025
"Senator I am here to answer your questions, not to do your homework for you."
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/WWWPgoDSl8
Padilla to Bondi: "You're asking to serve as the attorney general and you still need to study the 14th Amendment of the Constitution? That is not helping me have more confidence in your ability to do this job." pic.twitter.com/IxKYMOEnl1
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 15, 2025
Padilla’s objective was to force Bondi to answer for Trump’s comments about illegal immigrants “poisoning the blood of the country.”
The “gotcha” question did not land as he might have intended. Bondi affirmed that America is a nation of immigrants but that illegal immigration is the true problem, a distinction several Democratic senators failed to acknowledge.