President Donald Trump intends to nominate Harmeet Dhillon as associate attorney general, following the ouster of Attorney General Pam Bondi. Dhillon, currently head of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, would move up after Stanley Woodward's resignation on Saturday. The move comes amid a broader reshuffling at the Justice Department.
President Donald Trump plans to nominate Harmeet Dhillon to the position of associate attorney general, a source familiar with the matter said on Saturday evening. This promotion elevates Dhillon from her role as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, where she was sworn in in April 2025. Stanley Woodward, who previously held the associate attorney general position, resigned earlier that day, the source added. The Daily Wire first reported the nomination plans as part of an ongoing shake-up at the Department of Justice (DOJ). Todd Blanche is serving as acting attorney general and could remain in the role for some time, with no immediate plans for a permanent nominee, according to another source familiar with Trump's thinking. Trump met with Pam Bondi before his Wednesday evening speech and informed her of her replacement. One federal source attributed Bondi's removal to Trump's frustration over the lack of criminal prosecutions against Democrats accused of lawfare against him. However, another source familiar with the firing countered: “Attorney General Bondi’s outside enemies knew that she had no lack of zeal or skill in prosecuting cases of weaponization. They just stood to benefit from a changing of the guard.” Dhillon previously built her reputation at Dhillon Law Group, representing clients in free speech and civil rights cases, including pro-life journalist David Daleiden and detransitioner Chloe Cole. Her DOJ biography highlights challenges against the University of California, Berkeley on free speech, an Antifa group, states over Covid-19 responses, and tech companies on civil rights issues.
