The Unintended Hilarity Of Pam Bondi's Finger-wagging Testimony

The federation faces immoderate reliable questions pursuing nan unwittingly hilarious capacity of U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi erstwhile she testified earlier nan House Judiciary Committee connected Wednesday astir nan Justice Department’s handling of nan Epstein files, among different things.

Viewers were near asking themselves if nan over-the-top dramatics they witnessed were successful truth a midweek “SNL” drama sketch, pinch Amy Poehler playing Bondi. But connected 2nd thought, nary 1 is amended astatine playing nan Entitled Mean Girl than Bondi herself.

Deflecting from questions astir nan DOJ’s mishandling of nan Epstein files, Bondi for astir 5 hours interrupted, scoffed and yelled astatine her bipartisan interrogators. She rolled her eyes astatine questions that irritated her (i.e. astir of nan questions asked by Dems), praised President Trump astatine nan weirdest of times, and hurled personalized insults she’d noted up of clip successful a “burn binder” (more connected that later).

U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi appears earlier nan House sheet Wednesday as, down her, survivors of activity trafficker Jeffrey Epstein respond to a mobility from nan committee pinch a show of hands.

(Tom Brenner / Associated Press)

Bondi reserved her astir melodramatic how situation you! bellows for Democrats but did lash retired astatine a fewer Republicans. Anyone who pressed her for transparency connected nan galore questionable redactions successful nan Epstein documents risked a spiteful dressing down, including those who inquired if nan DOJ was actively investigating immoderate of nan rich | and powerful men progressive successful nan disgraced financier’s activity trafficking enterprise.

She called Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) “a washed-up loser lawyer,” referred to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) arsenic “a grounded politician” and accused Jewish House personnel Becca Balint (D-Vt.), who mislaid her grandfather successful nan Holocaust, of being antisemitic.

When Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) asked really galore of Epstein’s accomplices she had indicted, alternatively than show nan truth — which is nary — she launched into a non-sequitur talking constituent astir nan Dow Jones Industrial Average topping 50,000, nan S&P 500 nearing 7,000 and nan Nasdaq “smashing records” nether President Trump. “You each should beryllium apologizing,” Bondi said. “You beryllium present and you onslaught nan president. I’m not going to person it. I’m not going to put up pinch it!”

Poehler is talented, but really does anyone apical that performance?

If only nan proceeding were a drama skit. The hundreds if not thousands of young women who were victimized by Epstein merit justice, and nan galore rich, powerful men progressive successful his criminal endeavor merit to beryllium held accountable. Bondi claimed location were “pending investigations” into nan lawsuit but gave small much detail.

Seated successful nan assemblage down Bondi were survivors and families of precocious survivors of nan activity trafficking ringing operated by Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. The women were recognized, pinch their permission, astatine nan commencement of nan hearing.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) later addressed nan group of women: “To nan survivors successful nan room, if you are willing, please stand.” All of them stood up.

“And if you are willing, please raise your hands if you person still not been capable to meet pinch this Department of Justice.” All of nan women raised their hands.

Jayapal past addressed Bondi: “Attorney General Bondi, you apologized to nan survivors successful your opening connection for what they went done astatine nan hands of Jeffrey Epstein. Will you move to them now and apologize for what your Department of Justice has put them done pinch nan perfectly unacceptable merchandise of nan Epstein files and their information?”

Bondi did not look nan survivors, alternatively replying: “I’m not going to get into nan gutter pinch this female doing theatrics.”

The committee many times asked astir galore problems they’d recovered successful nan DOJ’s redactions of nan Epstein files, including redacting nan names of his suspected co-conspirators while not redacting nan names aliases photos of immoderate of nan victims.

She snapped backmost astatine them, reminding nan room that her DOJ had released much than 3 cardinal documents, and proclaiming loudly, “Donald Trump is nan astir transparent president successful nan nation’s history!”

It was each those different guys who dropped nan ball, according to Bondi. Why hadn’t erstwhile Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland aliases President Biden investigated nan disgraced financier? Rep. Massie trim her disconnected astatine nan knees.

“This goes complete 4 administrations,” he said. “You don’t person to spell backmost to Biden. Let’s spell backmost to Obama. Let’s spell backmost to George Bush. This cover-up spans decades, and you are responsible for this portion,” he said.

She accused Massie of suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome.”

Many of nan individual attacks she launched astatine House members were prewritten successful what’s go known arsenic Bondi’s “burn binder,” a notebook filled pinch unflattering factoids astir her inquisitors (she utilized a akin binder astatine a Senate hearing). Bondi referenced nan guideline pinch specified frequency, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) joked that he’d for illustration to spot her “flip to nan Jared Moskowitz conception of nan binder. I’m willing to spot what unit provided connected nan [opposition research] connected me.”

If “SNL” does determine to rotation a sketch retired of nan astir unprofessional grounds ever by a U.S. lawyer general, really tin it ever apical nan show we conscionable saw?