Attorney General Pam Bondi's appearance before US lawmakers stretched over more than five hours, and was characterised by a combative style of questioning from Democrats, and angry responses from Bondi.

Insults and shouting matches featured frequently.

Democrats mostly focused on the justice department's Epstein documents release. Republicans mainly focused on public safety, and reduced crime rates.

One of the many intense moments came when representative Becca Balint, a Democrat from Vermont, stormed out of the hearing after an especially fiery confrontation with Bondi over antisemitism.

We are now ending our live coverage, but you can read more here: Four takeaways from Pam Bondi's fiery Epstein testimony

Kayla Epstein
US reporter

Bondi's combative appearance is a sequel of sorts to her US Senate hearing in October 2025.

During that appearance, Bondi also sparred with Democratic lawmakers who asked probing questions about the Department of Justice's ultimately unsuccessful attempt to prosecute James Comey, and the legal justification for the Pentagon's boat strikes in the Caribbean.

That hearing also included questions about the Epstein files, which Congress had not yet ordered released at the time.

Bondi's approach is likely strategic. Pushing back aggressively against Democrats during their questions allows Bondi to pivot to the administration's talking points, and run down the clock on each Democratic lawmaker's probing questions.

Bondi is sitting before multiple lawmakers, but she is primiarly testifying to an audience of one: President Donald Trump.

The president values loyalty, and deputies who are able to channel his own pugnacious energy when defending his policies and agenda.

Attorney General Pam Bondi's hearing before the House Judiciary Committee has finished more than five hours after it started.

Stick with us, we'll bring you a recap of what happened shortly.

Image source, Getty Images

Much like Crockett's time summed up the Democrats' arguments, Congressman Michael Baumgartner is summing up those of the Republicans.

The focus of his questioning is on public safety, and he shows a graph of crime rates falling in various US cities.

He asks Bondi about crime reduction figures, and she responds by saying Trump has given law enforcement the support they need to combat crime.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Bondi didn't get a question from Crockett, but when the next Republican's question time comes up she uses it to respond to the Democrat.

She holds up a series of images of convicted criminals from Texas that she says Crockett should be focused on. Bondi has turned to this tactic multiple times this hearing, using Republican time to respond to Democrat accusations.

She has a folder of documents which she refers to, which seems to hold briefing documents from the states of Democrats on the committee - background she uses to throw accusations back at them.

Texas Democrat Jasmine Crockett says she's not going to ask any questions of Bondi because the attorney general isn't answering.

She uses her time to deliver a speech saying she's shocked Bondi is still at the top of the Department of Justice because she is bad at her job.

With her allotted five minutes, Crockett sums up much of what we've heard today from her Democratic colleagues, who have largely focused on the Trump administration's actions with the Epstein files, which she calls a "cover up".

She says Bondi values "fealty to the president over loyalty to the constitution".

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Representative Dan Goldman, a Democrat from New York, is up now.

He asks Epstein survivors at the hearing to stand up.

Goldman asks how many have been asked to give testimony from the DOJ. No one raises their hands.

He asks how many have offered to provide testimony and evidence, to which they all raise their hands.

"Well, Ms Bondi, it looks like you have some more witnesses to talk to you," he says.

Helena Humphrey
reporting from Washington

Democrat Congressman Jerry Nadler spoke to us outside the hearing following his fiery exchange with Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier.

Asked if he thinks this administration can deliver accountability, he said: "Certainly not." You can watch the interview below.

Texas Republican Chip Roy raises a subject that some of his Democratic colleagues have brought up before him - redactions in the Epstein files.

He asked why some victims names were released when they should have been redacted.

Bondi blames the short turnaround, saying her team "did they best they could".

She adds that if any names were left in that should have been redacted, they will be redacted retroactively.

Roy also asks if there will be any more arrests from information found in the Epstein files. "We have pending investigations in our office," Bondi says.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

The combativeness that has characterised this hearing continues, with Democrat Jesús "Chuy" García from Illinois describing Bondi as "one of the worst attorneys general in our history".

He calls her actions corrupt. He says the "MAGA base despises you" because of her handling of the Epstein files.

Garcia then calls on the attorney general to resign immediately, and asks no questions to Bondi during his allotted time.

The most dramatic exchange of the hearing so far occurs as Bondi throws accusations at Democratic Congresswoman Becca Balint, asking if she put similar questions about Epstein to Bill Clinton or Merrick Garland.

"Weaksauce," Balint interjects.

Bondi then says that in this "antisemitic culture right now" that Balint voted against a resolution condemning "from the river to the sea" as antisemitic.

Balint erupts, shouting "do you want to go there, are you serious?" across the chamber.

"Talking about antisemitism to a woman who lost her grandfather in the holocaust, really?" says Balint as she storms out of the chamber.

Image source, Getty Images

Bondi is now being questioned about US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's ties to Jeffrey Epstein by Democratic Congresswoman Becca Balint.

The attorney general says Lutnick has already addressed that himself.

For context: Lutnick has not been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. Lutnick confirmed he visited Jeffrey Epstein's island in 2012, contradicting previous claims that he had cut ties with the sex offender years earlier, before he was convicted.

As Bondi tries to deflect the question, the exchange between the two women grows increasingly fiery.

"These are senior officials in the Trump administration. This is not a game," Balint said.

Deborah Ross, a Democrat from North Carolina asks about Ghislaine Maxwell's transfer to a lower security prison, with reports of special privileges.

Ross goes on to say that Maxwell should be transferred to a maximum security facility and asks who ordered the move.

Bondi tells the committee that she learned of Maxwell's transfer after the fact and claims it is a 'same level facility'. She also says Maxwell will hopefully die in prison.

Democrat Lucy McBath, from Georgia, then asks Bondi about her time as Florida attorney general.

She says attorneys from Bondi's office handled the appeal of her son Jordan Davis' murderer, which was denied.

McBath says the compassion and respect she and her family received from Bondi's staff was "critical" - she asks if government officials should always be respectful and support of a victim's families as they mourn.

Yes, says Bondi. To which McBath says this is why the response to the death of Alex Pretti worries her, referencing Pretti being labelled as an "assassin" and domestic terrorist.

Asked if Bondi will denounce the statement that was made to "tarnish the names" of both Alex Pretti and Renee Good, Bondi says the DOJ is doing "everything" it can to shed light on the events of these shootings.

Image source, Getty Images

Joe Neguse, a Democrat from Colorado, and Bondi are in a heated argument, with both talking over each other.

Neguse is asking a question about two offices within the Justice Department which he says have been gutted by the Trump administration.

The chair gets involved to try and settle things down. There's a lot of talk about reclaiming time, with Neguse complaining Bondi has wasted his allotted five minute time.

Helena Humphrey
Reporting from Capitol Hill

The hearing has just returned from a lunch break, let's look back at some of the main talking points so far.

The attorney general is facing questions over the justice department’s handing of a range of high profile investigations, but the release of the Epstein files is front and centre.

While Bondi apologised to victims for what they had gone through, in a tense exchange with a democratic lawmaker, she refused to say sorry to survivors in the hearing room for not having met them personally.

The attorney general was asked how many of Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators had been indicted and she refused to answer.

The Justice Deparment is facing calls to release all of the Epstein files and ensure the identity of survivors is protected.

The hearing has returned from lunch, and we're back at it.

We'll be providing you with key updates as US Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks before the US House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee.

You can follow along here or by clicking watch liveat the top of the page.

It is worth remembering that Epstein survivors were present throughout the hearing, taking up seats directly behind Bondi.

We reported earlier that the group was asked to stand and raise their hands if they'd been unable to to meet with the Department of Justice, which they all did.

Among the survivors in the room are Jess Michaels and Lisa Phillips, who have been prominent campaigners for justice for the victims of Epstein's crimes.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Helena Humphrey
Reporting from Capitol Hill

I just spoke with the Democrat from New Mexico Melanie Stansbury, who sits on the key House Oversight Committee which is investigating the Epstein files.

I asked her what accountability looks like when we’ve heard the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche saying there will be no further action taken after this latest batch of files was released.

Stansbury pointed to the oath that all lawmakers and officials serving under the Trump Administration have sworn to the Constitution, and that their job is to execute the law.

In this case, the law in question is the Epstein Files Transparency Act which was passed by Congress and signed by President Trump in November.

These lawmakers and officials will not be there forever, she told me, "and they certainly will not be protected by this president forever".

"At the end of the day, while this DOJ is refusing to indict and prosecute individuals," Stansbury says, "we are building a case for further indictments and prosecutions. And part of the work of Congress right now is to build the congressional record to make sure that people are held accountable."