Pam Bondi diagnosed with thyroid cancer

Kelly Rissman, New York

Pam Bondi, the former US attorney-general, has had thyroid cancer diagnosed.

Bondi, 60, told CNN that she underwent surgery a few weeks ago and is getting treatment. She is recovering and “doing well”, she said.

Trump fired Bondi in April after she faced months of criticism over the justice department’s handling of the Epstein files. Todd Blanche, her deputy, took over as acting attorney-general.

Prominent politicians offered their support following the news of Bondi’s diagnosis.

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Senator Rick Scott, a Republican representing Florida, wrote on X: “This is terrible news, but Pam has been a dear friend for years, and I know she’s a fighter. If anyone can beat this, it’s her.”

Katie Miller, the wife of Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, posted: “Pam has been quietly kicking cancer’s ass the last few weeks.” She added that Bondi “has a heart of gold”.

On Friday, Bondi is scheduled to testify to the House oversight committee in its investigation into how the government managed the release of records related to Jeffrey Epstein. Her deposition was originally scheduled for last month but she refused to show up, prompting Democrats on the committee to file civil contempt charges.

Pam Bondi said Epstein client list was ‘on her desk’. What happened?

After she was sacked in April, Trump praised Bondi in a Truth Social post, calling her “a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend” who did a “tremendous job”. Bondi said she was “eternally grateful” to have served as attorney-general — a role she called the “honour of a lifetime”.

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Bondi is now planning a return to the Trump administration. She was appointed this week to serve on the presidential council of advisers on science and technology, an advisory committee focused on AI policy.

“Pam has been an enormously valuable asset to the president’s team, and I’m thrilled for her and for all of us that she’s going to remain involved in confronting some of the most important issues the administration faces,” JD Vance, the vice president, said in a statement to Axios.