President Donald Trump has ramped up the pressure on Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute his political enemies after he ousted a top prosecutor for failing to bring charges against the New York state attorney general.
When asked who Bondi should “focus on as far as bringing accountability,” Trump answered, “Everybody… focus on everybody.”
U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert resigned last week after the president threatened to fire him for failing to charge Letitia James with alleged mortgage fraud.
Trump then turned up the pressure by claiming he had personally fired Siebert and demanding Bondi go after James and other perceived enemies.
“There are a lot of crooked people that were here before me,” he continued. “You had people that almost destroyed our country. If I didn’t win this election, our country would be destroyed. We wouldn’t have a country right now.”
The demand came a day after the president specifically identified James, Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff, and former FBI Director James Comey as targets in a rambling post on his Truth Social platform.
“Pam: I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, ”same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, Leticia??? [sic] They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,”” Trump wrote.
“They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” he added.
Last week, ABC broke the news that the administration planned to replace Siebert, the seasoned prosecutor overseeing the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, with someone who will more aggressively investigate James.
The administration claimed the New York AG—who successfully sued the Trump Organization for fraud last year and is leading multiple lawsuits challenging the president’s policies—had declared a second home in Virginia as her primary residence to get more favorable loan terms.
But so far, investigators have determined that James only listed the home as a primary residence on a limited power of attorney form that allowed her niece—who was her co-purchaser—to sign documents on her behalf, sources told ABC News.
The loan officers who approved the mortgage never considered the document, according to ABC. The Trump administration, however, continued to demand that Siebert bring criminal charges against her.
The president’s feud with Schiff and Comey stems from the “Russia, Russia, Russia” investigation, in which the two men played central roles in investigating foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Trump has repeatedly said the investigation was a “hoax” and a “witch hunt” and has long called for Comey and Schiff to face legal consequences for their involvement.
He fired Comey as FBI director in May of 2017. He has also accused Schiff of mortgage fraud and has urged that the senator be prosecuted.
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