Attorney General Pam Bondi erupted at Sen. Dick Durbin during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, accusing the Illinois Democrat of caring more about attacking President Donald Trump than protecting his own state as National Guard troops headed to Chicago.
The confrontation came as Bondi went hoarse facing questions about the Trump administration’s decision to deploy National Guard units to Illinois over the objections of state officials.
Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the committee, accused Bondi of overseeing a “systematically weaponized agency to protect President Trump and his allies” and “attack his opponents.” He said the Trump administration was targeting Chicago to intimidate opponents and score political points.
“They are going to transfer Texas National Guard units to the state of Illinois? What’s the rationale for that?” Durbin asked.
“Yeah, Chairman, as you shut down the government, and you’re sitting here. Our law enforcement officers aren’t being paid,” Bondi shot back. “They’re out there working to protect you. I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump. And currently, the National Guard are on the way to Chicago. If you’re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will.”
Earlier, Bondi had announced that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel were also en route to Chicago.
“The National Guard is on the way as we speak! So is Director Patel and Deputy AG Todd Blanche! You’re sitting here grilling me, and they are on their way to Chicago to keep your state safe,” she said.
Durbin responded that he had asked a simple question on the legal rationale for deploying the National Guard and it became grounds for a personal attack. He pressed Bondi on her conversations with the White House about consultations before the Guard deployment was approved, but Bondi refused to disclose those conversations.
“What’s the secret? Why do you want to keep this secret? The American people don’t know the rationale behind the deployment of National Guard troops in my state,” Durbin said.
The exchange quickly went viral after Bondi shouted herself hoarse.
Take a look —
🚨 JUST IN: AG Pam Bondi goes BERSERK on Senator Durbin (D-IL) – "The National Guard is on the way AS WE SPEAK! So is Director Patel and Deputy AG Todd Blanche! You're sitting here grilling ME, and they are on their way to Chicago, to keep YOUR state SAFE." 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8dkzU2PwM8
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 7, 2025
Sen. Dick Durbin is going to regret asking this question for the rest of his life. It totally backfired on him.
AG Pam Bondi eviscerated him:
DURBIN: “They are going to transfer Texas National Guard units to the state of Illinois. What's the rationale for that?”
BONDI: “Yeah,… pic.twitter.com/yS2zZFSFt4
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 7, 2025
The heated exchange came as Illinois and Chicago fight the Trump administration in court over the National Guard deployment. Over the weekend, Trump authorized the deployment of 300 Illinois National Guard members to Chicago. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also volunteered 400 Texas National Guard troops for deployment at Trump’s discretion. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has called the deployment an unconstitutional invasion.
Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the administration from federalizing the Illinois National Guard and from sending troops from other states. A federal judge declined to immediately block the deployment during a Monday status hearing, instead setting another hearing for Thursday. However, it was revealed in court that National Guard troops from Texas were already on their way to Illinois and could be deployed as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday.
A Pentagon memo viewed by NPR indicated the troops would be used to protect federal property as well as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Federal Protective Service agents and other federal employees.
Durbin and other Illinois Democrats have demanded Trump reverse his decision to deploy National Guard troops, calling it unconstitutional and un-American.
“We write to urge you to reverse your reckless decision to federalize and deploy Texas and Illinois National Guard troops to Illinois. Your use of the military to sow fear and chaos in American cities, including over the objections of several Governors, is unconstitutional and un-American, infringes on individual and states’ rights, and threatens to undermine military readiness and morale,” the lawmakers wrote.
During his opening statement Tuesday, Durbin said Bondi was focusing on helping President Trump play strongman on television.
“Attorney General, you’re focusing on helping President Trump play strongman on television. He has illegally deployed troops to Chicago and other American cities and has threatened to send more,” Durbin said. “Chicago is not the enemy. Our fellow Americans are not the enemy.”
Bondi, adopting an attack-is-the-best-defense approach she has used in previous committee appearances, angrily dismissed suggestions that she has weaponized the Justice Department to attack Trump’s political opponents.
“They wanted to take President Trump off the playing field,” she said of Biden-era officials who indicted Trump twice. “This is the kind of conduct that shatters the American people’s faith in our law enforcement system.”
Bondi refused to answer questions about her decision-making on the Epstein investigation and other matters during the hearing. Like FBI Director Kash Patel, she attempted to turn Democrats’ questioning into political theater, shouting through much of her testimony.
The attorney general has faced accusations that she is using the Justice Department to go after Trump’s perceived enemies. In late September, the DOJ secured an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey, a longtime adversary of the president. The agency is also investigating whether Sen. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who sits on the Judiciary Committee, committed mortgage fraud.
The Trump administration has also deployed National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, though a federal judge has twice blocked those deployments over the weekend. Federal immigration enforcement operations are ongoing in Chicago, with reports of Black Hawk helicopters, tear gas, and a woman shot by Border Patrol agents.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley opened the hearing by recounting allegations that the FBI improperly investigated whether Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia.
“To our average constituent this is all history. We’re pointing this all out because we can’t have this repeated in the United States. It’s time for accountability,” Grassley said.