Politics

DOJ slams 'fake news' photo of 'binned' Pam Bondi portrait – but X is unconvinced

Matt McClain/Getty Images

Politics is certainly a fast-moving thing, and according to a photo shared by MS Now justice and intelligence correspondent Ken Dilanian, after US attorney general Pam Bondi was sacked by President Donald Trump earlier this week, her portrait quickly found itself dumped in the bin.

Taking to his Truth Social account on Thursday (April 2), Trump wrote that Bondi “is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend” who “faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year”.

“We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future,” he wrote, adding Todd Blanche would be stepping in to serve as acting attorney general.

Except the next day, Dilanian reported the portrait of Bondi inside the Department of Justice (DOJ) has already been taken down, and when the image of the former AG’s photo being spotted in the bin was shared by Pop Base, X/Twitter users were quick to mock the ex-Trump official:

Writer and comedian Mike Drucker tweeted: “One moment the Dow is over 50,000. The next you’re in the trash. Happens to the best of us”:

“It’s like Alan Cumming has announced she was murdered overnight by the Traitors,” commented one, referencing the popular gameshow:

Another wrote: “Didn’t even bother to take it outta the frame I’m giggling”:

And another claimed “it’s where she belongs”:

However, the DOJ soon clapped back and… well… rubbished the claims, with Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, branding it “fake news” and “extremely tacky” of Dilanian.

And the DOJ’s Rapid Response account duly responded with side-by-side images labelling Dilanian’s photo “fake news” and a photo of the portrait hanging up on the wall as “real news”.

Unfortunately for the department, people aren’t buying the debunk:

“Digging in the trash to own the libs,” commented the news outlet Headquarters:

Political commentator Art Candee claimed they’re “not even the same pictures”:

Meme account greg responded with his own accusation of “fake news”, showing the as-yet-uncorrected X profile of Bondi which still lists her as “serving under the leadership of @POTUS Trump”:

And another said they are “not even the same frame”:

The DOJ has been approached by indy100 for comment.

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