Trump Confronted ‘Weak’ Prosecutors About Delaying His Revenge Tour
The president singled out a few of them for making Pam Bondi’s job difficult, a report says.
Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images
Donald Trump has not only been grumbling about Attorney General Pam Bondi, but several other top U.S. prosecutors over the slow progress of his revenge tour.
The president, at a White House photo shoot last Thursday, told the group of attorneys from around the country that they were weak and were being ineffective in targeting some of his perceived political enemies, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The event apparently grew awkward after Bondi introduced the attorneys. Trump, 79, jumped at the chance to tell them that they were negatively affecting Bondi’s and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s ability to fulfill their job duties.
Trump specifically complained that California Sen. Adam Schiff, 65, hadn’t been indicted, people familiar with his comments said. The Justice Department has been investigating the prominent anti-Trump Democrat for alleged mortgage fraud, which he denies.
Schiff denies allegations of mortgage fraud—the same claim prosecutors are making of Letitia James. Trump has pressured Bondi to target both.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag
During the exchange, Trump also singled out prosecutors, claiming he felt betrayed by them, according to the report.
The Justice Department referred questions about the matter to the White House, which didn’t immediately respond to a Daily Beast inquiry.
Sign Up for The Swamp Newsletter
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Trump’s dissatisfaction with prosecutors extends to Bondi herself, the Journal reported on Monday. The president has occasionally confronted Bondi about how prosecutions of his perceived rivals, like New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey, haven’t been going smoothly.
A federal judge late last year tossed those two indictments, ruling that Trump had illegally appointed Lindsey Halligan, the inexperienced attorney who obtained them. The government is appealing that decision. In the meantime, it failed to convince two other grand juries to indict Letitia James.
Trump has criticized Bondi directly over a host of prosecution-related matters, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Trump is also upset about Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, according to that report, as well as investigations into his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
Trump’s impatience may have been quelled a bit over the weekend, when it was revealed that the Justice Department was investigating Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell over his congressional testimony about the central bank’s building renovation. Trump, who has been fighting Powell on interest rates, insisted he knew nothing about the investigation before it became public.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…