'I think it's time': The 4 words that reportedly fired Bondi, and Trump's possible picks to replace her

President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on a short ride to the Supreme Court on Wednesday with just four words, a report says, and now rumors about her potential replacement are swirling around Washington.

Trump reportedly told Bondi, "I think it's time," to notify her of her firing the day before formally announcing her removal in a Truth Social post. Trump later announced her departure on Thursday, calling her a "Great American Patriot and a loyal friend" but reportedly privately expressing frustration with the lack of prosecutions against Democrats and her botched handling of the Epstein files.

'I'm not going anywhere.'

Needless to say, Bondi had become a sore spot for the administration, prompting her to become the second departure from Trump's Cabinet following former Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem.

Trump has since announced that Todd Blanche, Bondi's former deputy, would temporarily step in as attorney general while the president continues weighing his options to fill the slot long-term.

Trump's top pick continues to be EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who met with the president on Tuesday, according to one administration official. The meeting was about an unrelated topic, but the official told Blaze News that Trump floated the idea of Zeldin replacing Bondi. The next day, Trump informed Bondi of her firing.

RELATED: Bondi is OUT — and Trump already has a replacement in mind

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While Zeldin is widely regarded to be the top choice, Trump has not yet made a formal announcement.

Other names have been circulating, although most of them would be considered long shots. Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Ted Cruz of Texas had been floated by onlookers, both of whom would likely sail through Senate confirmation. Critics quickly called out anonymously cited senators endorsing Lee for the role, saying they just want to get rid of one of the most conservative lawmakers.

"Senators who prefer working two and a half days a week are probably Lee’s biggest cheerleaders in taking another job," a senior Republican source told Blaze News.

Lee later set the record straight in a post on X, saying, "I'm not going anywhere."

RELATED: Bondi speaks out after ouster, still may have to testify before Congress

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc./Getty Images

Another rumored candidate to be top cop has been Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is currently running a fierce campaign to oust Republican Sen. John Cornyn. The two have been facing off in a high-stakes primary that Trump was expected to weigh in on but so far has not done so.

Although Paxton is popular with the base, he would have to first be approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on which his opponent sits. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina would also be a challenging committee vote to secure, not to mention Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who have known to defect on key floor votes.

Other possible candidates are some of Bondi's top DOJ officials, including Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon and even Blanche. While Blanche has assumed the role in the interim, he has shut the door on any future Epstein investigation, telling Fox News that "it should not be a part of anything going forward."

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