President Donald Trump publicly pressured Attorney General Pam Bondi on Saturday, September 20, to prosecute several of his political adversaries, including former FBI Director James Comey, Senator Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. In a social media post that was later deleted, Trump expressed frustration with what he perceived as inaction from the Justice Department.
The president’s initial Truth Social post, directed to Bondi, stated that he had reviewed over 30 statements and posts criticizing the lack of prosecutorial action. Trump wrote that people were essentially saying “same old story as last time, all talk, no action.” He demanded to know about progress regarding Comey, Schiff, and James, claiming they were all guilty, but nothing had been done.
Trump indicated that delays in prosecuting his opponents were damaging the administration’s reputation and credibility. He referenced his two impeachments and five indictments, characterizing them as baseless, and demanded that justice be served immediately. The post concluded with capital letters emphasizing urgency.
The message came one day after federal prosecutor Erik Siebert left his position as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Siebert had been nominated by Trump in May but resigned after pressure from the White House regarding his failure to prosecute James over mortgage fraud allegations. The prosecutor had informed senior Justice Department officials that investigations had not uncovered sufficient evidence to pursue charges against James.
Trump disputed Siebert’s account of resigning, claiming instead that he had fired the prosecutor. The president stated there was a strong case against James and that many lawyers and legal experts agreed with this assessment. He criticized Siebert as a weak Republican with a poor record who was supported by Democratic senators.
Approximately one hour after the initial post, Trump published a more conciliatory message praising Bondi’s performance as attorney general. He described her as careful, smart, and patriotic, while suggesting she needed a tough prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia to advance cases. Trump recommended Lindsey Halligan as Siebert’s replacement.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer strongly criticized Trump’s demands, characterizing them as authoritarian behavior. Schumer stated that the president was transforming the Justice Department into an instrument to pursue enemies regardless of their guilt. He emphasized that the department had traditionally maintained independence and pursued law violators without political bias under both Democratic and Republican administrations.
The targets of Trump’s criticism have extensive histories of conflict with the president. James successfully pursued a civil fraud case against Trump and the Trump Organization, resulting in a 2024 court ruling that initially ordered Trump to pay $450 million, though that penalty was later overturned. She has dismissed the mortgage fraud allegations against her as baseless and motivated by revenge.
Schiff, a California Democrat, oversaw Trump’s first impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives. Comey served as FBI director during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election before Trump dismissed him in 2017.
Since returning to office, Trump has taken numerous actions against those who previously investigated him. He has revoked security clearances for several officials, including James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought criminal hush‑money charges. The president has also dismissed prosecutors who worked for special counsel Jack Smith on criminal investigations and targeted law firms that employed attorneys involved in probes against him, including the firm that previously employed special counsel Robert Mueller.
On September 25, 2025, a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicted James Comey on two counts: making a false statement to Congress and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. The charges stem from his 2020 Senate testimony in which he referred to an earlier statement in which he denied authorizing someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source, a statement prosecutors now allege was false. A third potential charge was rejected by the grand jury.
In a statement, Attorney General Bondi said, “No one is above the law,” describing the indictment as a demonstration of the Department’s commitment to accountability. Comey has denied wrongdoing and vowed to contest the charges.
The indictment follows Trump’s public pressure on Bondi to prosecute him, and it underscores ongoing tensions within the Department of Justice over prosecutorial independence. Some career prosecutors reportedly resisted the case, citing insufficient evidence. In court, a magistrate judge expressed confusion during the brief session over aspects of the indictment and noted that Halligan, the newly appointed, inexperienced, acting U.S. attorney, signed the indictment herself—an unusual procedure.
In the immediate aftermath of the indictment, Comey’s son‑in-law, a federal prosecutor in the same district, resigned minutes later, citing his oath to the Constitution.
