During her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for the position of Attorney General, Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump's nominee, engaged in a heated exchange with Senator Adam Schiff. Schiff questioned Bondi's impartiality and whether she would pursue investigations against Trump's political adversaries, specifically mentioning former Special Counsel Jack Smith and former Representative Liz Cheney. Bondi denied any such requests and countered by pointing to California's high crime rate as a more pressing concern.

Schiff expressed concern that Bondi's responses indicated a lack of independence from the president and questioned her willingness to acknowledge Trump's 2020 election loss. Bondi accused Schiff of playing politics and leaking the Devin Nunes memo. The exchange escalated with Schiff raising concerns about potential blanket pardons and Bondi criticizing Schiff's past actions, referencing his censure by Congress for promoting claims of Trump-Russia collusion.

Further tension arose when Senator Sheldon Whitehouse questioned Bondi about the potential weaponization of the DOJ. Bondi responded by highlighting the federal investigations into Trump, suggesting a pattern of politically motivated actions against the former president. The hearing underscored the partisan divide and the concerns surrounding the independence of the Justice Department under the incoming administration.