Attorney General Pam Bondi spoke to reporters while President Donald Trump stood beside her, listening carefully as she addressed questions from the media. Her appearance drew attention because it came at a time when several changes were happening inside the Department of Justice.
According to several reports, the Department of Justice suspended at least two federal prosecutors. This decision came after the prosecutors acknowledged that the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was carried out by a large crowd of rioters. That day, thousands of people stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., disrupting a joint session of Congress that was in the process of certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. The violence led to injuries, deaths, and widespread damage, and it remains one of the most significant political events in recent U.S. history.
ABC News reporters Katherine Faulders and Alex Mallin revealed that the prosecutors learned on Wednesday that they were being placed on leave. The suspension reportedly came after a legal filing referred to the event as an attack by “thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters.” This phrasing appeared to confirm the scale and seriousness of the violence, which has continued to shape public debates and political divisions in the years since.
In an earlier development, Attorney General Pam Bondi had fired three prosecutors who were working on cases connected to the Capitol riot. Their removal raised questions about internal decisions and the Department of Justice’s handling of such politically sensitive cases. According to additional reports, several dozen more prosecutors were dismissed only a few days after President Donald Trump took office. These firings suggested a broader effort to reorganize or replace key legal staff members at the start of the new administration.
Together, these events paint a picture of a Justice Department undergoing internal tension and political influence while trying to navigate the ongoing fallout from the Capitol attack. The decisions to suspend and fire prosecutors have sparked discussions about accountability, fairness, and the challenges of maintaining impartial justice during times of intense political conflict.
