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Jennifer Selin, Associate Professor of Law, Arizona State University

What a US attorney general actually does – a law professor spells it out

Donald Trump Pam Bondi DOJ United States Lee Zeldin Todd Blanche George Washington Jeff Sessions The United States FBI
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi answers questions from the media at the U.S. Capitol on March 18, 2026. Matt McClain/Getty Images

President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 2, 2026, only 14 months after she was sworn into office, making her time in the role the shortest in 60 years.

While much recent attention has focused on Trump’s decision to fire Bondi, there has been less attention on what the attorney general actually does, or what happens when the attorney general gets fired.

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