On Saturday night, President Donald Trump created a stir among his administration members with a surprising social media post on Truth Social. In his message directed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump expressed his frustration over the lack of prosecution against his perceived political enemies, including former FBI Director James Comey, Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and New York Attorney General Letitia James (D).
Trump's demand for immediate action against Letitia James came just hours after he dismissed the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, citing their failure to charge James, who had overseen a civil fraud case involving Trump's business interests. In his post, Trump claimed, "They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done." He criticized the appointment of a “woke RINO” as the U.S. Attorney and suggested hiring his former personal attorney, Lindsey Halligan, for the position. This assertion was later confirmed when he deleted, edited, and re-posted his message.
Trump emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility.” He further lamented, “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”
Within hours of his post, Trump announced Halligan's appointment as the new U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Many observers speculated whether Trump's initial post was intended as a private directive to Bondi, leaving several senior officials at the Justice Department and the White House taken aback. Some officials were reportedly confused, noting that the message read more like a personal text than a public communication.
According to sources familiar with the situation, some administration officials concluded that despite the likelihood of an accidental public post, it was best to treat it as a legitimate public demand. The call for prosecutions is consistent with Trump's previous actions, where he has publicly urged the Department of Justice to initiate investigations against his political opponents.
Earlier this year, Trump made headlines by signing executive orders that directed the Justice Department to pursue what many viewed as revenge-driven investigations against his chosen targets. Since reclaiming the presidency, Trump has increasingly operated under the belief that federal law enforcement is an extension of his political agenda, a sentiment echoed within his Justice Department.
Later that evening, Trump reiterated his stance, telling reporters, “We have to act fast. If they’re not guilty, that’s fine. If they are guilty or if they should be charged, they should be charged. And we have to do it now.” In an apparent attempt to manage the fallout from his earlier frustrations, Trump later praised Bondi, stating she is “doing a GREAT job,” contradicting his earlier public complaints about her handling of prosecutions.
This latest episode underscores the ongoing tension within Trump's administration as well as the President's relentless pursuit of his political rivals. The implications of such demands continue to fuel discussions about the intersection of law enforcement and politics in the current administration.
