Trump issued a veiled threat to Bondi hours after firing Noem (Image: Getty)

As Donald Trump introduced Attorney General Pam Bondi during an event honoring Inter Miami CF at the White House on Thursday afternoon, he appeared to issue a veiled threat to her after Kristi Noem’s firing.

The president called Bondi a “terrific person and fan” of the team, which was invited to the White House after winning the 2025 Major League Soccer championships back in December.

“She’s proving how tough she is, and I think the next three years, she’s going to really prove it, right? Huh?” he said, addressing Bondi directly. Trump cocked his head at her as he turned his compliment into a question, looking at her expectantly. It comes after Noem’s shocking face before plastic surgery was exposed in surprise photos.

He added that he hoped she would prove her toughness “like these people,” referring to the group of soccer players behind him.

The comments came mere hours after he fired Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

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Trump’s comment to Bondi came across almost as a veiled threat (Image: Getty)

The awkward moment came as Inter Miami CF met with Trump at the White House in celebration of their December win of the 2025 Major League Soccer championships.

The 4 p.m. visit with the president came after Inter Miami beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 back in December to claim the title.

The team traveled to Washington, D.C., on Thursday morning ahead of the visit and another match against D.C. United in Baltimore on Saturday.

Rumors flew ahead of the event that soccer superstar Lionel Messi would take part in the visit, as would Inter Miami co-owner and former soccer legend in his own right, David Beckham. Messi did, in fact, make an appearance, but Beckham was nowhere to be seen.

The visit marked Messi’s first to the White House. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Joe Biden in January last year, but he didn’t attend the ceremony due to a scheduling conflict.

Trump has shared interest in soccer ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is slated to be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has made multiple visits to the White House over the past year to prepare for the tournament. He also awarded Trump with the FIFA Peace Prize in December — which came shortly after the president was denied a Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump fires Noem

The awkward moment involving Bondi also came hours after Trump fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

The decision to fire her came after she faced mounting criticism over her leadership of the department, including the handling of the administration’s immigration crackdown and disaster response.

Trump, who said he would nominate Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin in her place, made the announcement on social media after Noem faced a two-day grilling on Capitol Hill this week from GOP members as well as Democrats.

Noem’s departure marks a stunning turnaround for a close ally to the president who was tasked with steering his centerpiece policy of mass deportations.

But she appeared to increasingly become a liability for Trump, with questions arising over her spending at her department and over her conduct in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Trump said Noem “has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!).” He said he was making her a “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative that he said would focus on the Western Hemisphere.

Noem, who appeared at a law enforcement event in Nashville, Tennessee, moments after Trump’s announcement, did not address her ouster there. She read from prepared remarks and was not asked by attendees about the development.

Later, in a social media post, she thanked Trump for the new appointment and touted her accomplishments as secretary.

“We have made historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again,” she wrote.