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Trump still leaning on AG Pam Bondi to pursue discredited claims about Russia, 2016 race
Tulsi Gabbard’s conspiracy theories have been discredited. The president is pressing the attorney general to make “something” happen anyway.
Link to tweet
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-still-leaning-ag-pam-bondi-pursue-discredited-claims-russia-2016-rcna225023
But as part of the same rant, the Republican also sent an unsubtle signal to the nation’s chief law enforcement official, who was in attendance at the event.
Over the course of about two minutes, Trump blamed Joe Biden for the war Putin started, pretended his own Russia scandal was a “hoax,” falsely accused a variety of perceived Democratic foes of wrongdoing (he referenced Sen. Adam Schiff and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by name), wildly mischaracterized former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and findings, and pointed to recent intelligence revelations that don’t exist.
At that point, the president looked at Attorney General Pam Bondi and said, “I’m looking at Pam because I hope something’s going to be done about it. These people put our country at great danger.”.....
But Bondi has nevertheless directed Justice Department prosecutors to launch a grand jury investigation based almost entirely on Gabbard’s claims, and while Trump has occasionally pretended to be detached from the process, there was the president on Wednesday — in public, on camera, speaking on the record — explicitly lobbying the attorney general, letting her know that he wants “something ... to happen” with the pointless probe.
Some of the White House’s critics have argued that Trump is politicizing and weaponizing the Justice Department as part of a larger effort to convince his appointees to pursue his partisan foes. It was a helpful change of pace to see the president proving his critics right.
Trump: "I got along great actually. We had the--- I have to go through the Russia Russia Russia hoax. It was a strain on the relationship [with Putin]. I actually told him ... I'm looking at Pam, because I'm hoping something will be done about it."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-08-13T16:35:19.703Z
Over the course of about two minutes, Trump blamed Joe Biden for the war Putin started, pretended his own Russia scandal was a “hoax,” falsely accused a variety of perceived Democratic foes of wrongdoing (he referenced Sen. Adam Schiff and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by name), wildly mischaracterized former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and findings, and pointed to recent intelligence revelations that don’t exist.
At that point, the president looked at Attorney General Pam Bondi and said, “I’m looking at Pam because I hope something’s going to be done about it. These people put our country at great danger.”.....
But Bondi has nevertheless directed Justice Department prosecutors to launch a grand jury investigation based almost entirely on Gabbard’s claims, and while Trump has occasionally pretended to be detached from the process, there was the president on Wednesday — in public, on camera, speaking on the record — explicitly lobbying the attorney general, letting her know that he wants “something ... to happen” with the pointless probe.
Some of the White House’s critics have argued that Trump is politicizing and weaponizing the Justice Department as part of a larger effort to convince his appointees to pursue his partisan foes. It was a helpful change of pace to see the president proving his critics right.