Cecilia Lei

I'm Cecilia Ley, and this is Apple News Today.

She became one of Trump's loudest backers in the press and on the Hill.

But after a tumultuous 14 months in her post, Trump ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi yesterday.

On social media, Trump heaped praise on his loyalist AG, even as he dismissed her.

He said she was, quote, a great American patriot and did a tremendous job.

But according to The Washington Post, Trump had privately become frustrated with her performance and was unmoved when she argued for more time on Wednesday.

In a short period, Bondi became one of Trump's most prominent cabinet members and oversaw dramatic changes to the historically independent Department of Justice.

She forced out scores of prosecutors who had investigated Trump, and her leadership caused a mass exodus of experienced officials.

Her tenure was shaped by Trump's demands, and she aggressively pursued his political enemies with threats and charges.

But ultimately, she couldn't deliver the high-profile convictions he wanted.

An investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell has gone quiet, and a judge threw out the indictments against James Comey and New York Attorney General Leticia James.

Shelby Talcott is a White House correspondent for Semaphore.

Talcott told us that Trump's disapproval with Bondi intensified as the DOJ's handling of the Epstein files began to consume Washington.

For some conservatives, Bondi never recovered from the way she managed the documents.

She went from telling Fox News about a client list on her desk to resisting a bipartisan effort to release more files.

She was scheduled to testify on the matter to Congress this month, and yesterday, lawmakers were quick to say they still expect her to attend.

Her deputy, Todd Blanche, will now step into the role, at least on a temporary basis.

A one-time personal lawyer for Trump, the New York Times reports that he has wielded enormous power within the DOJ, shaping it into his own image.

He has a close relationship with the president, but could run into the same problems as Bondi if Trump makes similar demands.

Bondi's dismissal comes not long after the firing of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.