MSNBC Analysts Slam GOP’s ‘Disgusting Display of Disinformation’ During Pam Bondi Hearing
Pam Bondi, former Florida Attorney General, speaks to reporters outside an election integrity volunteer training. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton, File)
Following the Senate hearing on Pam Bondi’s nomination as attorney general, MSNBC legal analysts Barbara McQuade and Paul Butler voiced sharp criticism of Republican senators for their attacks on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and special counsel Jack Smith. They accused GOP members of spreading disinformation and undermining public trust during the proceedings.
During a discussion with host José Díaz-Balart, McQuade called out Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), and Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) for using the hearing to vilify the DOJ and FBI. The senators alleged these institutions had been “weaponized” and “politicized,” particularly in their investigations of Donald Trump.
“Jose, a huge part of this strategy by the Republican senators clearly is to put the Department of Justice and FBI on trial,” McQuade said. “We have heard the words weaponized, politicized again and again, and Pam Bondi is agreeing with those things.” She added, “The suggestion that charging Donald Trump with interfering in the January 6th election and retaining classified documents was somehow cooked up or baseless is a disgusting display of disinformation.”
McQuade expressed concern about the broader impact of such claims. “Even if they alone don’t believe what they’re saying, members of the public are watching this, and I worry how many will be believing what they are hearing today,” she said.
Butler, addressing Bondi’s performance, acknowledged her courtroom experience but raised alarms over her refusal to clarify critical issues. “She’s smooth and polished, and she’s even found common ground with some of the Democrats on issues like the opioid epidemic and pornography,” he said. However, he emphasized, “It’s what she won’t rule out that is concerning.”
“But she won’t rule out discussing potential criminal prosecutions with Trump. She won’t rule out prosecuting reporters. She won’t disavow or clarify her earlier pledge to prosecute the prosecutors and investigate the investigators who were responsible for Trump’s criminal cases,” Butler continued.
Criticizing Bondi’s endorsement of Trump ally Kash Patel to lead the FBI, Butler said, “She’s sounding like a yes-woman to Donald Trump. She’s his Roy Cohn. I like to remind people that Roy Cohn was disbarred.” The sharp analysis underscores concerns about Bondi’s independence as attorney general and the potential consequences of GOP narratives on public trust in the justice system.
