Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared to sidestep a direct endorsement of President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to send American citizens convicted of violent crimes to prisons in El Salvador, during a recent appearance on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime.”
The discussion arose following Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, where he stated, “homegrowns are next,” referring to U.S. citizens.
Trump further elaborated, “Homegrown criminals are next. I said homegrowns are next, homegrowns are next. You’ve got to build about five more places. It’s not big enough.”
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The president clarified that his focus was on “violent offenders” and indicated that his administration was exploring the legality of such deportations.
This suggestion, which sparked immediate legal and ethical concerns, became a focal point of Watters’ interview with Bondi.
Watters presented the idea to Bondi, stating, “The president was musing about sending some of the most horrible people in this country down to that mega prison,” and then directly asked, “Is that legal to do? Is that something you’re allowed to do?”
Bondi’s response, however, did not offer a clear endorsement.
Instead, she emphasized the administration’s commitment to public safety and the need to incarcerate violent criminals.
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“Well Jesse, these are Americans that he’s saying committed the most heinous crimes in our country. Crime is going to decrease dramatically because he has given us a directive to make America safe again. These people need to be locked up as long as they can, as long as the law allows. We’re not going to let them go anywhere. If we have to build more prisons in our country, we will do it.”
Watters responded to Bondi’s answer with a chuckle, “Right. That’s what I thought.”
This exchange highlighted the Attorney General’s reluctance to explicitly support the president’s proposition, leaving the legal and practical implications of the idea largely unanswered.
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