Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on Sunday said that former Attorney General Pam Bondi's recent firing "should be a lesson" for the next nominee to lead the Justice Department.
"But here's the lesson from Pam Bondi, Kristen, the AG is supposed to be the nation's chief law enforcement officer and have an independent gravitas and integrity. Pam Bondi threw all that away, and she still got fired," Kaine told NBC News's Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press."
"So look, you can either go in as an attorney general and stand up for the rule of law, and you may make Donald Trump mad, or you can go in and try to just do everything the president wants, and you're going to make him mad. And she basically sold out her own integrity. She couldn't even look at herself in a mirror. And she still got sacked. That should be a lesson to whoever is the next nominee for AG," he added.
Trump's recent ousting of Bondi shortly after replacing the former Homeland Security secretary has raised questions about whether additional staff shakeups are on the way. During Trump's second term, there has been less staff turnover than in his first term, making Noem and Bondi's exits notable.
Bondi's Justice Department faced intense criticism within the last year over its handling of files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which continued to grow with the release of some files connected to the disgraced financier.
When asked by Welker if he is "open to voting yes on President Trump's pick to become the next attorney general," Kaine responded, "I never start off as an automatic no."
"We'll see who the president proposes. If you get elected as president, I think that should carry a mandate to put in an executive team. If somebody is not qualified or has lack of character, I'll vote no," he added.