NEED TO KNOW
- Trump tells Attorney General Bondi to indict first, ask questions later
- Bondi praised as “very careful” then scolded for being too careful
- President proposes lawyer friend for Virginia slot after another quits
The Justice Department’s newest challenge is not evidence, witnesses, or legal precedent. It is President Donald Trump demanding that Attorney General Pam Bondi abandon caution in favor of pure speed. Speaking from the White House, Trump called Bondi “very careful, very smart” before clarifying that those traits should no longer be applied to her job.
“Pam is fantastic, but we can’t have all this slow walking,” Trump said. “You don’t need mountains of evidence. You need handcuffs, mugshots, and maybe some orange jumpsuits. We’ll figure out the evidence later, or maybe never. Either way, it’ll be beautiful.”
The Indictment Wishlist
Trump rattled off a list of names including James Comey, Adam Schiff, and Letitia James. Each was declared “guilty as hell” without a trial. He noted that public complaints about inaction had reached his desk, and he promised that the era of patience was over. “If people aren’t guilty, that’s fine,” he added. “But if they are guilty, or if I think they are guilty, then they’re guilty.”
Bondi, seated nearby, smiled politely and nodded while clutching a stack of blank indictment forms. She later told aides that Trump’s version of due process “sounds more like ordering fast food than practicing law.”
New Hires and New Pressure
The president also announced his plan to install Lindsey Halligan, one of his personal lawyers, as a federal prosecutor in Virginia. He claimed Halligan had “the toughness needed to indict a snowman in July.” The announcement followed the resignation of U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert, who reportedly struggled to find enough evidence to satisfy Trump’s appetite for immediate convictions.
Critics worry that Trump’s impatience with legal standards could erode confidence in the system. Supporters counter that justice has always been too slow, and “express indictments” could be the jolt America needs. The Justice Department has not confirmed whether it plans to add drive-thru windows to federal courthouses.
It’s hard to balance blind justice with Trump’s vision of justice on demand. One has a scale, the other has a stopwatch.
Barbara Starr, University of Southern California
