Ana Navarro, a co-host of The View, recently spoke highly of President-elect Trump’s choice of former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department, following the withdrawal of former Rep. Matt Gaetz from consideration for the role. Navarro, a CNN contributor and GOP strategist, shared her thoughts on AC360, stating, “I know Pam Bondi very well. She’s a mainstream Republican who shifted toward MAGA, much like many others.”
She continued by clarifying Bondi’s character, adding, “She is not someone who presents herself as an ogre or a jerk. She’s not someone who seeks to appear like the person Matt Gaetz has been seen as.” Navarro pointed out that Bondi had been one of Trump’s early supporters, backing him during the 2016 primaries, even when other prominent Florida Republicans like Senator Marco Rubio and former Governor Jeb Bush were competing.
Bondi’s nomination receives a warm endorsement from Navarro during a tense political landscape
“I think Pam Bondi brings loyalty, which is something Trump greatly values,” Navarro told host John Berman. This interview coincided with Gaetz’s withdrawal from consideration after facing resistance from Senate Republicans. Following Gaetz’s exit, Trump announced Bondi as his pick for Attorney General.
Bondi served as Florida’s Attorney General from 2011 to 2019. Trump praised her on Truth Social, calling her “smart and tough” and praising her as an “AMERICA FIRST Fighter” who would do a terrific job. Bondi, who also served on Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment, currently chairs the Center for Litigation at the America First Policy Institute.
Navarro went on to compare Bondi to some of Trump’s other Cabinet picks. She noted the controversy surrounding former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who was appointed as Defense Secretary despite sexual assault accusations, which he denied.
She also pointed to other contentious choices, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the Department of Health and Human Services, and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, citing concerns over her alleged ties to Russia.
Navarro concluded by saying that Bondi was one of Trump’s “better picks,” emphasizing, “She hasn’t been accused of sexual assault. She hasn’t done anything like sawing the head off a whale or stabbing a dead bear cub,” in reference to allegations surrounding Hegseth and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s daughter’s accusations against Kennedy.
