Attorney General Pam Bondi went on the offensive Tuesday as Senate Democrats grilled her about the Jeffrey Epstein case and other matters.

Facing months of criticism over her July 6 memo recommending against further public disclosures in the Epstein prosecution, she turned the tables on Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Sen. Dick Durbin.

When Whitehouse asked, “How many of those Treasury Suspicious Activity Reports did you or Director Patel investigate?”, Bondi struck back: “Senator, I’m not sure if you’re concerned because you took money, I believe, did you, from Reid Hoffman, not only once, but twice in 2018 and 2024.”

Whitehouse pressed again, asking whether the FBI had found photos of President Trump with young women among Epstein’s materials.

Bondi fired back: “Senator Whitehouse, you sit here and make salacious remarks trying to slander President Trump when you’re the one who was taking money from one of Epstein’s closest confidants, and the senator sitting right next to you, Durbin, tried to block the flight logs from being released.”

Durbin questioned Bondi next: “Why was the July 7 memo unsigned?” Bondi replied: “Why did you fight to not disclose the flight logs, Senator Durbin?” Durbin countered: “I did not refuse.

One of the senators here wished to produce those logs, and I asked her to put it in writing, and she never did.”

Bondi then confronted Durbin over crime in his own state: “I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump.

If you’re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will.” The line drew widespread attention across the chamber and beyond.

Durbin accused Bondi of transforming the Department of Justice into an instrument of Trump’s will. In his opening statement, he said, “In eight short months, you have fundamentally transformed the Justice Department, left an enormous stain in American history. It will take decades to recover.”

Bondi defended her stewardship, saying the DOJ was returning to its core mission of fighting real crime and insisted, “We’re ending the weaponization of justice.”

Throughout the hearing, Bondi pushed back against Democratic attacks. When asked about withholding Epstein files, she revived her point about donations from Reid Hoffman, claiming Democrats were themselves aligned with Epstein associates.

She also criticized Democratic senators for failing to act previously. When questioned about Merrick Garland’s performance as Attorney General, Bondi retorted, “Did you ask Garland any of this over the last four years when he sat before you?”

On the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, Durbin challenged Bondi on executive overreach. Bondi did not back down: “You voted to shut down the government. Our law enforcement officers are not being paid,” she said, before pivoting, “They’re on their way to Chicago.

If you’re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will.”

In that same exchange, she repeated, “I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump.”

Bondi also traded barbs with Sen. Blumenthal, calling him “someone who lied about being in the military just to be a senator.”