In September, President Trump shared messages on Truth Social urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against various political rivals. Reports suggest he intended these as private communications.
According to insiders cited by the Wall Street Journal, Trump believed he had sent a direct message to Bondi. NBC corroborated this, noting that the message raised concerns among former Trump officials.
Both outlets reported that Trump was taken aback when the message appeared publicly on his Truth Social account, and he attempted to brush it off.
The Wall Street Journal also mentioned that Bondi was so disturbed by the content that she contacted Trump and White House staff. Subsequently, she issued another post on social media praising him.
In the initial message dated September 20, Trump’s call for prosecuting his adversaries ignited worries about his intent to leverage the Justice Department against them.
He referred to Bondi casually as “Pam” and expressed frustration over the lack of action taken against figures like former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Senator Adam Schiff.
“We cannot delay any longer. This will damage our reputation and credibility,” wrote Trump. “They have impeached me twice and indicted me (five times!). There is nothing wrong with that. Justice must be served now!!!”
Since the message was posted, the Justice Department has issued indictments against both Comey and James.
Comey faces accusations of making false statements to Congress in 2020 and obstructing a Congressional hearing regarding his testimony. He pleaded not guilty to both charges on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, James was indicted on Thursday in a federal court in Virginia for allegedly making false statements to a financial institution, linked to bank fraud and mortgage fraud. In response, she denounced Trump’s “desperate weaponization of our justice system” and proclaimed her innocence.
“These accusations are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his sole objective is political retribution at all costs,” she asserted.
