background — photo by Gage Skidmore, 2019.

Govind Tekale

Pam Bondi’s 5-hour Senate grilling: “Love Chicago as much as you hate Trump” and questions on Comey, Guard, phone records

DOJ, Pam Bondi, Senate Hearing, Trump, USA

Oversight of the Department of Justice — Senate Judiciary Hearing with Attorney General Pam Bondi

Hearing Snapshot: Interactive Timeline, Map & Quick Quiz
This section presents factual checkpoints from the Senate Judiciary oversight hearing with Attorney General Pam Bondi. Times reference the official agenda and public video feeds. Related context is linked for verification. Internal reading is provided for background on U.S. politics and justice oversight.
~5 hrs
Duration of questioning (approx.)
09:00
Start time (ET) per agenda
Room 216
Hearing room (Hart Building)
3+ topics
DOJ probes, National Guard, case files
Timeline markers use Eastern Time and highlight neutral milestones from public proceedings and official schedules.
09:00 ET
Gavel-in & agenda
Opening noted by the committee; oversight hearing on the Department of Justice. Agenda details: Senate Judiciary – Oversight of the DOJ.
Approx. morning
Opening statement
Prepared remarks delivered by the Attorney General. Public video segments available via recorded feed and C‑SPAN.
Late morning
Questions on DOJ probes
Senators referenced inquiries involving public figures; responses were limited to non‑discussion of pending matters. See live log entries for time stamps.
Midday
National Guard discussion
Exchange regarding deployments included references to Chicago and Memphis. Local coverage and clips mirror the remarks: CBS Chicago.
Afternoon
Legal questions on maritime strikes
A segment referenced strikes on boats in the Caribbean; no legal analysis was provided during the exchange. Clip reference: video segment.
Partisan Fault Lines Exposed in Bondi’s Senate Testimony
Overview
Attorney General Pam Bondi faced sharp questioning Tuesday during her first oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The session highlighted deep divisions between Democrats and Republicans over Justice Department priorities under the Trump administration.
Capitol Hill Showdown Gets Personal
Democrats questioned Bondi about investigations into President Trump’s political opponents, while Republicans focused on what they called the previous administration’s weaponization of the department against conservatives.

When Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked about deploying National Guard troops to Chicago without the governor’s approval, Bondi replied: “I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump.”

The attorney general’s exchange with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) turned combative after he questioned her ties to a law firm involved in a merger under DOJ review.

“Senator Blumenthal, I cannot believe that you would accuse me of impropriety when you lied about your military service,” Bondi said. “How dare you? I’m a career prosecutor. Don’t you ever challenge my integrity.”
Comey Case Takes Center Stage
Former FBI Director James Comey’s recent indictment emerged as a flashpoint. Democrats suggested the charges came after Trump publicly urged prosecutions of his opponents.

When asked if Trump’s social media post calling for charges represented “a directive,” Bondi said: “Trump is the most transparent president in American history, and I don’t think he said anything that he hasn’t said for years.”

Blumenthal displayed a photo showing Bondi dining with Trump the night before Comey’s indictment. She declined to discuss her conversations with the president.
Phone Records & GOP Concerns
Republicans highlighted documents showing that phone records of eight GOP senators were obtained during Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into 2020 election interference.

“They were playing politics with law enforcement powers and will go down as a historic betrayal of public trust,” Bondi said of the previous Justice Department leadership.
Epstein & Border Security
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) pressed Bondi on why the department hadn’t investigated “suspicious activity reports” about Jeffrey Epstein’s finances. When asked about allegations that Border Czar Tom Homan accepted $50,000 from undercover FBI agents, Bondi stated a review found “no credible evidence of any wrongdoing.”
National Guard in American Cities
The deployment of federal troops to Democratic-led cities sparked debate. Bondi defended sending National Guard to Chicago: “If you’re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will.”

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) expressed concern about the strategy: “I’m having a real struggle right now with the National Guard being deployed and masking the abject failure of leaders at the state and local level.”
Closing Statement
As the hearing concluded, Bondi stated: “They may try to destroy our country, but they won’t. They won’t be successful, nor will our foreign adversaries, because we have the greatest president in Donald Trump and he will make America safe again.”

The five-hour session revealed little common ground between parties on Justice Department oversight, with each side accusing the other of politicizing law enforcement.

Quick Check

Tap an option to reveal whether the statement is correct.
The committee listed the start time as 09:00 a.m. ET and Room 216 (Hart Building) on the agenda.
The hearing agenda listed a venue outside Washington, D.C.
Questions included references to National Guard activity and maritime strike queries.
Officials & Institutions Senator Profiles Related on CruxBuzz
The section assembled schedule details, noted exchanges, cited locations, and linked public materials. These items were presented for reference without interpretation.

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