President Donald Trump’s scolding command on Truth Social for Pam Bondi to prosecute James Comey and other political targets was supposed to be a DM, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
Trump, who has been accused of having dementia by a few prominent Democrats recently, thought he had sent the attorney general the message privately last month and expressed surprise that it was public, according to the unnamed officials. A distressed Bondi called White House aides and Trump, prompting the president to follow up with an entry of glowing praise about Bondi.
Many had already suspected the Sept. 20 note was supposed to be a 1-on-1 correspondence, given its personal nature:
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.” Then we almost put in a Democrat supported U.S. Attorney, in Virginia, with a really bad Republican past. A Woke RINO, who was never going to do his job. That’s why two of the worst Dem Senators PUSHED him so hard. He even lied to the media and said he quit, and that we had no case. No, I fired him, and there is a GREAT CASE, and many lawyers, and legal pundits, say so. Lindsey Halligan is a really good lawyer, and likes you, a lot. 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!!! President DJT
Comey, the former FBI director, was indicted days later and pleaded innocent Wednesday to making false statements and obstruction in what is viewed by many to be a flimsy case.
Trump already had one prosecutor who did not satisfy him removed in the Virginia district bringing the case, and replaced him with one of his former personal lawyers, Lindsey Halligan.
Another prosecutor in the same district, Elizabeth Yusi, is under heavy pressure from the Trump administration to nail down a criminal indictment against New York State Attorney General Letitia James for mortgage fraud. Yusi has reportedly not found probable cause to proceed against James, another one of Trump’s perceived enemies.