Poor Pam

Susan Estrich on Apr 4, 2026

She did everything a loyalist could do. She bowed to his whims. She weaponized the Justice Department, turning it into the weapon and tool of a vengeful president. She fired all those who had dared to do their jobs and investigate him, or investigate and prosecute his loyal army of January 6 rioters. She decimated the ranks, shredding the independence of the Department, demanding loyalty to the president above all else. Facing a dearth of evidence and an abundance of skeptical prosecutors, she nonetheless secured indictments of the president's arch-enemies, James Comey and Letitia James. That the indictments got thrown out only underscored what it took to get them in the first instance. But nothing was too much to ask of Pam.

And what did she get?

Like her brunette Cabinet twin, Barbie, she got unceremoniously dumped. According to published reports, she wanted a graceful exit. He wanted her out. So out she goes.

Of course, Pam Bondi deserves to be fired for what she has done to the Justice Department. It is a disgrace. But that's not the reason she is being fired, and nothing is likely to change with her departure. Will the President suddenly become less vengeful? Not a chance. Will he give up his efforts to control the Department? Why? Will any policies change? Todd Blanche is President Donald Trump's personal attorney. He has been by Bondi's side for everything that has gone right or wrong. Will Lee Zeldin, another Trump loyalist to the core, be able to resist the president's demands any more than Bondi did? Or will he just be less "visible" than Bondi?

Bondi wasn't the only big news this week. There was the president's big speech on Iran, his chance to explain to the country what we are doing there and how long we'll be doing it. Stephen Colbert had the best line on April Fool's Day. "It was concise, intelligent, and brought the nation together with shared purpose," Colbert said before the laughter started. It was, to say the least, none of the above.

What shared purpose? Regime change? Keeping the oil lanes open? Dealing with the potential nuclear threat? Will there be a ground invasion as soon as this weekend? Is our future engagement measured in weeks, months, or years? The president simultaneously threatened to hit Iran even harder and to be done in weeks. Done with what? Where next?

Then there is the defense budget. On Friday, the White House asked Congress on Friday to approve about $1.5 trillion for defense in the 2027 fiscal year -- a 40% increase over this fiscal year, and the highest spending level in modern history. And who will pay for that? We will, with a call for $73 billion in cuts spread across many domestic agencies, including the elimination of key federal health, housing and education programs, many of which serve those most in need. With most Americans facing literal affordability crises every day, how can we possibly afford $1.5 trillion in defense? The New York Times reports that at a private lunch, Trump said military spending needed to be a national priority, even at the expense of federal safety-net programs and other government aid.

"It's not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all of these individual things," he said. "They can do it on a state basis." He added that the focus had to be "military protection."

The states cannot do "all of these individual things," like Medicaid and Medicare, on their own. They certainly cannot and should not bear those burdens so that King Donald and Prince Pete can conduct their foreign adventures unlimited by acts of Congress or the support of the American people. It is time, past time, for Congress to say no to Donald Trump.

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To find out more about Susan Estrich and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.