Trump Appoints Former Attorney General Pam Bondi to PCAST Amid AI Policy Debate

President Donald Trump named former Attorney General Pam Bondi to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) two months after she was removed as head of the Department of Justice. Bondi will join a roster of business and technology leaders, a White House official said.

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Bondi’s departure from the Justice Department in April followed criticism from Democrats, Republicans over her handling of files related to financier Jeffrey Epstein. Soon after her dismissal, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, underwent treatment, and is now recovering, sources say.

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The council is co-chaired by David Sacks, the AI and cryptocurrency czar, and Michael Kratsios, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Other advisers include Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and Marc Andreessen.

The Hill

The appointment arrives as the administration wrestles with AI governance. A scheduled executive order on AI testing was withdrawn after Trump said he “didn’t like certain aspects” of the draft, showing disagreement. Sacks has advocated a light-touch approach, arguing that unnecessary regulation threatens innovation and that winning the AI race requires clearing bureaucratic hurdles.

The Hill

Vice President Vance described Bondi as “an enormously valuable asset” and praised her involvement in administration issues. Sacks said Bondi is uniquely positioned to advise on legal and regulatory matters and warned that overregulation hampers innovation. The White House noted she will contribute to AI and broader science-technology policy discussions.

TND - The National Desk

Critics have highlighted Bondi’s prior controversy over the Epstein file handling, questioning the optics of her return to a senior advisory role. The abrupt pull of the AI executive order has also been cited as evidence of policy uncertainty.

TND - The National Desk

• “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, Vice President

The Hill

• “no one is better positioned to support PCAST and to advise the president on legal and regulatory matters” — David Sacks, PCAST Co-Chair

The Hill

• “President Trump understands that unnecessary regulation is the biggest threat to innovation in America,” — David Sacks, PCAST Co-Chair

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• “Winning the AI race means not only beating China but also clearing bureaucratic hurdles thrown up by state legislatures and woke politicians in DC.” — David Sacks, PCAST Co-Chair

The Hill

Bondi will serve on PCAST, advising on AI policy and other science-technology matters as the administration refines its AI regulation approach.

The Hill