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Attorney General Pam Bondi delivered a decidedly combative performance in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
My big takeaway? Bondi’s performance — bullying, name-calling etc. — should remind us all that Trump’s style isn’t going to go away simply because he is leaving office (we think) in early 2029.
Remember that for a whole generation of younger pols — Bondi included — Trump has been the dominant force in American politics for more than a decade. Politics is a copy cat game. His success — and whether you like him or hate him he has been successful politically speaking — creates a whole slew of mimics, politicians who see what he has done and will aim to re-create it.
Bondi is certainly one. Ditto Pete Hegseth. JD Vance. Kristi Noem. And myriad more at the state and local level who are moving up through the ranks now.
For them, Trump is redefining how you interact with the public. With members of your party — and the opposition party. With the media.
And, candidly, I think the next generation of Trump acolytes will take it even further than he has. (We live in an era of extremes.)
What does that mean? That even after Trump is out of office — or gone from the world — the imprint he has left on how politicians behave — will remain.
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