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Pam Bondi Puts Loyalty to Trump First

Plus: Pete Hegseth and the Pornhub–Purity Culture Coalition

Jim Swift

Jan 17

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KIM WEHLE: Pam Bondi Puts Loyalty to Trump First

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is sworn in to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing for U.S. attorney general on January 15, 2025. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

IF THESE WERE “NORMAL” TIMES, Pam Bondi almost certainly would not be confirmed as attorney general. But these are far from normal times, and with her leading the Department of Justice under a re-elected Donald Trump, the times are likely to get a whole lot less normal.
On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee began confirmation hearings for the former Florida attorney general Trump picked after the catastrophic collapse of his first choice for U.S. attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, because of an investigation by the House Ethics Committee into allegations that Gaetz paid for sex, including with a minor, and used illegal drugs while a member of Congress. Although it’s almost certain that Bondi will be confirmed, there are at least three disqualifying issues with her candidacy.

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H. DAVID BAER: Facing a Serious Challenger, Orbán Moves Closer to Naked Authoritarianism

“IF IT KEEPS ON RAINING, [the] levee’s going to break”—these lines from Led Zeppelin’s classic could be used to convey the strain Viktor Orbán’s regime has come under since Péter Magyar emerged out of nowhere to reconfigure Hungarian politics. Independent polls consistently show Magyar’s new party, Tisza, leading Orbán’s Fidesz by at least several percentage points. This is unprecedented. Fidesz has trailed the collective opposition for only a few brief moments over the last fifteen years, and has never trailed a single party since Orbán returned to the premiership in 2010. Smart, tough, young, and indefatigable, Magyar has been dictating news cycles and shaping narratives for an entire year. In a way no previous opposition figure managed to do, he has been able to focus public attention on Hungary’s mounting problems and political failures.

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🎥 PODCASTS AND VIDEOS 🎧

Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller: Melissa Murray and John Avlon: The Dark Legal Clouds Ahead [YouTube: Murray, Avlon]
Bulwark+ Live:
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HOLLY BERKELEY-FLETCHER: Pete Hegseth and the Pornhub–Purity Culture Coalition

I FELT FAMILIAR NAUSEA watching a particular moment during Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing on Tuesday—and I suspect it was a feeling shared by others watching who, like me, walked away from the white evangelical churches in which they were raised. It happened when Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) raised a subject relevant to Hegseth’s character, personal stability, and potential vulnerability to blackmail: Hegseth’s repeated adultery and other sexual indiscretions—including sleeping with someone (who alleged assault) two months after his child was born to his mistress with whom he cheated on his second wife. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) then rose to Hegseth’s defense.

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BILL RYAN: David Lynch, 1946–2025

DAVID LYNCH, THE FILMMAKER, musician, and painter, died this week following a serious decline in health after evacuating his home during the Southern California wildfires. He was 78 and a heavy smoker; in recent years he had revealed that he was suffering from emphysema. The physical difficulties of his condition left little hope he would ever direct another feature or television show. Other than short films and music videos (of which there were many, to be fair), Lynch hadn’t directed anything of prominence since 2015.

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🚨OVERTIME🚨

Happy Thursday! There’s a cold wind coming, and not just the political winds! A polar vortex is coming, so bundle up!

🎵On the Jukebox… 🎵 OK Go - A Stone Only Rolls Downhill

“Soup you can suck on…” Progress introduces a new lozenge form of soup. It sold out in a single day.

Will Saletan… on why Hegseth likely gets through, joining Don Lemon to discuss.

What does a cabinet secretary’s office look like? Secretary Pete takes viewers for a tour.

Nikki Haley’s endorsement… Was thanked with an after-election “bird brain” insult and a post asking people not to refer her former staff for administration jobs.

A 25th(ish) Anniversary Oral History… of Mitch Hedberg’s Never-Released Movie.

Meet the brothers… who built NYC’s favorite congestion pricing tracking tool (The Verge)

Cincinnati shines… in trailer for Robert De Niro's 'The Alto Knights.' (Enquirer) Watch the trailer.

The Hidden Moral Injury… of Intelligence Professionals. Some #RealTalk from GCV+F.

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—30—

Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.

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