Because these hearings, like so much political theater now, are staged for an audience of one: the great and powerful Donald Trump. So while Bondi thought she was playing the role of loyal defender, her sneering responses and burn book takedowns turned her into something else: the Angry Woman. And that is not something her boss would order from Central Casting.

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Yet Trump has made something else equally clear over the years: he does not like “angry women.”

He branded Hillary Clinton a “nasty woman” and repeatedly painted her as shrill and enraged. His preference has always skewed toward the ornamental: Melania Trump, serene and sphinx-like; Ivanka Trump, polished and now conspicuously silent in his second administration. Recently, he belittled Kaitlin Collins for not smiling, making it seem like a personal affront to him that a “young woman” could be in his presence and not be thrilled.

Trump prefers women who smile. Women who glide. Women who understand that in Trump’s court, volume control is permitted, but only if it belongs to him.

Bondi is not ornamental. She is a former Florida attorney general, a seasoned prosecutor, and one of Trump’s personal lawyers during various impeachment and legal battles. He hired Alina Habba to lead his defense in the E. Jean Carroll case. Habba didn’t need LinkedIn to get the job. She was spotted lounging poolside in a bikini at Bedminster. In Trump’s world, competence is helpful; telegenic loyalty is essential.