Pam Bondi No Longer Attorney General

The RealClearPolitics podcast on April 2, 2026, opens with a discussion of President Trump’s primetime address on the ongoing military campaign against Iran, which the hosts assess as ineffective in shifting public opinion. Despite Trump’s emphasis on military success and historical context for the war’s duration, both Tom Bevin and Carl Cannon argue the speech failed to sway undecided voters or counteract deepening partisan polarization, with approval of the war now below 40%. The conversation shifts to the potential replacement of Attorney General Pam Bondi, with reports indicating Trump may replace her with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin due to concerns over her handling of the Epstein files and perceived lack of aggression toward political opponents. The panel debates the role of the Attorney General as a political appointee versus an independent arbiter, noting the increasing tribalism in American politics. Later, retired U.S. Air Force General John Teichert joins to discuss military strategy, advocating for targeted strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure to pressure regime change rather than full-scale invasion, while cautioning against overreliance on NATO allies. The episode concludes with a retrospective on Trump’s 'Liberation Day' trade policy one year later, judged as a mixed outcome with no economic collapse but also no promised manufacturing revival, and a critique of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration amid allegations of $180 billion in fraud under his tenure.