US President Donald Trump called Friday for more of his political opponents to face criminal charges as he cheered the indictment of former FBI director James Comey and branded him a “dirty cop.”
The Republican’s comments step up an extraordinary, undisguised campaign of retribution against those who oppose him that defies decades of norms in US politics.
“Frankly I hope there are others,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about Comey’s indictment on Thursday, describing his opponents as “corrupt, radical-left Democrats.”
“It’s not revenge. It’s also about the fact that you can’t let this go on.”
Presidents have historically striven to show clear separation between the White House and the Justice Department. Trump has smashed that precedent, making clear he intends to influence Comey’s case — and others.
Comey was charged with making false statements and obstruction of justice in connection with the probe he conducted into whether Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election.
“He’s a dirty cop, he’s always been a dirty cop,” Trump told reporters about Comey. AFP
Asked who would be next for prosecution, Trump said: “It’s not a list, but I think there will be others.”
The charges against the former FBI chief came days after Trump publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and others he sees as enemies.
They included Leticia James, who as New York’s state prosecutor brought a civil fraud case against Trump, and current California Senator Adam Schiff, who led the prosecution at the president’s first impeachment in 2019.
The New York Times reported Friday that the Trump Justice Department was also seeking information about Fani Willis, the Georgia district attorney who brought an election interference case against Trump.
Willis was later removed from the case because of an intimate relationship she had with the man she hired to be a special prosecutor and it is unlikely to come to trial.
