President Donald Trump exerted public pressure Saturday night on Attorney General Pam Bondi[1], saying it was time for the Justice Department to take action against a number of his political foes.
Alongside the extraordinary demand to prosecute his adversaries, the president also named his former defense attorney, now a senior White House aide, to replace the head of a key prosecutor’s office he forced out[2] a day earlier.
“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” Trump said in a Truth Social post[3].
He said people were complaining that “nothing is being done” and name-checked some public officials with whom he’s tussled: former FBI Director James Comey, Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Comey led the investigation into Trump’s possible ties to Russian leadership, which concluded that Trump’s campaign did not collude with Russian operatives.[4]
Schiff, while a member of the House, led the first impeachment of Trump[5] during his first term.
James brought a successful civil suit against Trump in 2022 that accused him of overvaluing assets, including real estate, in loan applications. The suit’s financial penalty against Trump was later voided.[6]
In a follow-up post an hour later, Trump praised Bondi.
“Pam Bondi is doing a GREAT job[7] as Attorney General of the United States,” he wrote.
In a statement to NBC News, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, “President Trump appreciates all Attorney General Bondi is doing to Make America Safe Again. The President wants justice and accountability for the many corrupt criminals and politicians who weaponized our justice system against him and his millions of patriotic supporters.”
Trump also complained about former acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik S. Siebert, who was tasked with looking into mortgage fraud allegations[8] against James. Siebert resigned from office on Friday[9], though Trump contradicted this in his post — saying he fired Siebert.
Trump, who did not name Siebert in the post, lamented that the former acting U.S. attorney had the support of Virginia’s two U.S. senators — both Democrats.
“We almost put in a Democrat supported U.S. Attorney, in Virginia, with a really bad Republican past,” he wrote.
In a follow-up Truth Social post[10], Trump said he was naming Lindsey Halligan as his nominee to replace Siebert[11].
He lauded Halligan, who serves as special assistant to the president and senior associate staff secretary. Halligan is also Trump’s point person in making changes to the Smithsonian museums[12].
He told Bondi in the post that “Lindsey Halligan is a really good lawyer, and likes you, a lot.”
“She will be Fair, Smart, and will provide, desperately needed, JUSTICE FOR ALL!” Trump said in the post.
The Department of Justice did not immediately return a request for comment.
Garrett Haake, Ryan J. Reilly, Zoë Richards and Michael Kosnar contributed.
References
- ^ Attorney General Pam Bondi (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ the head of a key prosecutor’s office he forced out (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ said in a Truth Social post (truthsocial.com)
- ^ did not collude with Russian operatives. (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ the first impeachment of Trump (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ later voided. (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ doing a GREAT job (truthsocial.com)
- ^ mortgage fraud allegations (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ resigned from office on Friday (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ a follow-up Truth Social post (truthsocial.com)
- ^ to replace Siebert (truthsocial.com)
- ^ also Trump’s point person in making changes to the Smithsonian museums (www.washingtonpost.com)
- ^ Dennis Romero (www.nbcnews.com)