The White House doubled down Monday on President Trump's demands for prosecutions of his perceived enemies just eight months after his inaugural vow that the Justice Department would "never again" target "political opponents".
Why it matters: While the White House insists the investigations are holding his foes accountable, Trump's pressure campaign has drawn bipartisan blowback.
What they're saying: "It is not weaponizing the Department of Justice to demand accountability for those who weaponize the Department of Justice," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a briefing on Monday.
- "We are not going to tolerate gaslighting from anyone in the media or from anyone on the other side who is trying to say that it's the president who is weaponizing the DOJ," she added, before accusing former President Biden of weaponizing the department.
- "[Trump] wants accountability for these corrupt fraudsters who abused their power, who abused their oath of office, to target the former president and then candidate for the highest office in the land," she said.
- When asked, the White House referred to Leavitt's comments about returning "accountability" to the Justice Department. A Biden representative did not immediately respond.
Context: The president urged Attorney General Pam Bondi not to "delay" prosecutions of former FBI director James Comey, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) in a Truth Social post on Saturday. All three have investigated Trump for alleged wrongdoing.
- "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!!!," the president wrote.
Between the lines: The post also referenced U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert, who resigned under pressure on Friday after he was allegedly unwilling to prosecute James after finding insignificant evidence that she had committed a crime.
Zoom out: Trump's post sparked pushback from Republicans and Democrats, some of whom condemned the post as anti-democratic.
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) called the since-dropped criminal charges against Trump "lawfare" on Sunday, but added that "it's also wrong if Republicans do it."
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) argued Trump is trying to go after his opponents "whether they're guilty or not" and warned that the president's moves were leading America down the "path to a dictatorship."
Go deeper: Unlikely enforcers shape Trump's "weaponization" crusade
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that the White House referred Axios to Karoline Leavitt's public comments (rather than declined comment).
