Trump picks his former lawyer to be top prosecutor, as he pushes Bondi to investigate foes

Lindsey Halligan appointed as US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia after president demands investigations of his political enemies

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/21/trump-picks-his-former-lawyer-to-be-top-prosecutor-as-he-pushes-bondi-to-investigate-foes



Donald Trump said he was appointing his former lawyer Lindsey Halligan to be US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia after an extraordinary outburst in which he overtly put pressure on his attorney general to more aggressively pursue senior public officials he regards as his political enemies.

“Pam Bondi is doing a GREAT job as attorney general of the United States. She is very careful, very smart, loves our country, but needs a tough prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia, like my recommendation, Lindsey Halligan, to get things moving,” Trump wrote on Truth Social post, announcing his decision.

In an earlier online outburst that read as much like a direct message to Bondi as a public post, Trump demanded she appoint Halligan – his special assistant and a onetime beauty queen – to replace Erik Siebert, a former police officer and experienced prosecutor and US attorney who resigned after finding no grounds for prosecuting the New York attorney general, Letitia James.

“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,” Trump wrote.

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