Trump Pressures Justice Dept to Target Rivals, Fires Prosecutor Probing Letitia James

US President Donald Trump on Saturday openly pressed his Justice Department to pursue legal action against political opponents, escalating concerns about the erosion of the agency’s independence.

In a social media post addressed to “Pam” — apparently Attorney General Pam Bondi — Trump demanded prosecutions of California Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Both Democrats were accused by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, a close Trump ally, of falsifying mortgage documents.

“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump wrote.

The post came a day after Trump abruptly fired Erik Siebert, US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, who had overseen an inquiry into James. Siebert reportedly resisted charges, citing insufficient evidence. “I fired him, and there is a GREAT CASE,” Trump declared Saturday.

Schiff and James have long clashed with Trump. Schiff led the prosecution in Trump’s first impeachment trial in 2020, while James brought a sweeping civil fraud suit that resulted in a $464 million penalty, later overturned on appeal.

Trump, impeached twice and now convicted in separate criminal and civil cases — including 34 felony counts over hush money payments and an $83.3 million defamation judgment to author E. Jean Carroll — railed online: “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

Other probes into Trump’s handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election were dropped after his 2024 re-election.

Trump said he will nominate White House aide Lindsey Halligan, currently leading a review of Smithsonian content for “divisive or partisan narratives,” to replace Siebert.