President Donald Trump has distanced himself from allegations that he weaponized the Justice Department against his political rivals, declining responsibility for the indictments of former FBI Director James Comey, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
In a “60 Minutes” interview with CBS’ Norah O’Donnell, the president was confronted with the perception that the legal actions taken against key critics and former officials amounted to “political retribution.” Trump was quick to deflect, reminding viewers that he, too, had faced legal scrutiny. “You know who got indicted? The man you’re looking at. I got indicted. And I was innocent,” he said.
Pressed further on whether he instructed the Justice Department to pursue these figures, Trump denied giving orders but doubled down on his belief that they were corrupt. “No. You don’t have to instruct ’em because they were so dirty, they were so crooked, they were so corrupt, that the honest people we have — Pam Bondi’s doing a very good job, Kash Patel’s doing a very good job — the honest people that we have go after ’em automatically,” he asserted.
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The interview also referenced one of Trump’s recent posts on Truth Social where he named Comey, James, and Adam Schiff. “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??? They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,'” Trump wrote. He added, “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!!!”
The allegations of politically charged prosecutions collided head-on with a separate legal battle involving Letitia James, who pled not guilty to federal charges of falsifying mortgage documents. Her appearance in a Norfolk, Virginia courtroom on October 24 marked the beginning of what many see as a high-profile clash between the Trump administration and one of its most prominent Democratic critics. James, who previously secured a civil fraud ruling against Trump, denounced the charges as “a weapon against those individuals who simply did their job and who stood up for the rule of law.”
“My faith is strong, and I have this belief in the justice system and the rule of law, and I have a belief in America,” James told reporters outside the courthouse, smiling as a crowd chanted, “We stand with Tish!” She added, “There’s no fear today.”
The court set her trial date for January 26, with her defense team arguing for dismissal on grounds of political motivation. James faces bank fraud and false-statement accusations concerning a 2020 real estate purchase, in which prosecutors allege she misrepresented the home as a second residence to secure lower loan rates.
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The indictment came after Erik Siebert, the previous U.S. attorney for the district, resigned amid reports he refused to pursue the case, and was succeeded by Lindsey Halligan, a former Trump lawyer with no previous prosecutorial experience.
