Former Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to return to the White House in an advisory role — and sources told Axios she has been quietly battling thyroid cancer at the same time.
The news surfaced publicly on May 27, when Katie Miller, the wife of White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, posted about Bondi's health fight on X.
Highlights
- Pam Bondi was reportedly diagnosed with thyroid cancer shortly after leaving the Justice Department in April.
- Katie Miller publicly disclosed Bondi’s health fight in a May 27 post on X.
- Bondi is expected to advise PCAST as the Trump administration focuses on AI policy and competition with China.
- Bondi has not publicly addressed the diagnosis, and some medical details remain undisclosed.
Bondi was diagnosed shortly after President Trump fired her from the Justice Department in April, underwent treatment, and is now recovering while preparing to join PCAST, the presidential science and technology advisory panel.
The move places Trump's former attorney general back near AI policy discussions at a moment when the administration has tied the panel's work to competition with China.
What officials said about Bondi's diagnosis and return to Trump's White House team
Image credits: U.S. Department of Justice / Wikimedia Commons
Axios first reported Bondi's diagnosis, according to a Washington Examiner account of the story. An anonymous source familiar with the matter also confirmed the diagnosis, though Bondi has not publicly addressed it herself.
The timing adds a private health crisis to what had already become a public political turn. Trump fired Bondi on April 2 after continued fallout over her handling of the Justice Department's files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Soon after leaving the department, she reportedly learned she had thyroid cancer.
Miller's post brought the health news into wider public view. She wrote on X that Bondi had been quietly fighting cancer. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later reposted it.
Vice President JD Vance also praised Bondi's continued role in Trump's orbit. "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," Vance said, according to the Washington Examiner.
Bondi back in the middle of AI and infrastructure policy
Bondi has not yet appeared on PCAST's online roster. Axios reported that she will help coordinate between administration officials and tech leaders serving on the panel, while also taking on a newly established advisory role tied to national infrastructure initiatives.
The assignment places Bondi near one of the administration's highest-profile policy fights: artificial intelligence. PCAST has become increasingly central to the White House push to shape AI policy and sharpen competition with China.
David Sacks, the former White House AI and crypto czar who now serves as PCAST co-chair, welcomed her appointment: "No one is better positioned to support PCAST in this mission and to advise the President on legal and regulatory barriers than @PamBondi. Excited to have her on board!"
Image credits: The White House / Wikimedia Commons
Bondi's return also comes as cancer has touched several figures around Trump's team. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Tulsi Gabbard announced on May 22 that she would resign as director of national intelligence effective June 30 to support her husband, who is battling a rare form of bone cancer, according to CBS News.
Bondi still faces unfinished business on Capitol Hill. She agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee, with her scheduled appearance set for May 29.