President Donald Trump used a ceremonial gathering at the White House last week to launch a blistering attack on the very prosecutors tasked with advancing his legal agenda, according to a new report.
A Photo Op Turns Fiery
On Thursday, January 8, 2026, dozens of US attorneys were assembled at the White House for a formal photograph with the president. The event, introduced by Attorney General Pam Bondi, quickly descended into a tense confrontation. Sources familiar with the exchange told the Wall Street Journal that Trump openly criticised the group, labelling them as weak and ineffective.
The president expressed feelings of betrayal, accusing the prosecutors of not moving swiftly enough to bring cases against his political enemies. He reportedly claimed their lack of urgency was making it harder for both Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to perform their duties at the Department of Justice.
Underlying Grievances and Political Targets
The outburst appears to stem from a series of simmering frustrations within the Trump administration. According to the Journal, the president has been privately furious over Bondi's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case files. He also agreed with an assessment from Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who told Vanity Fair that Bondi had "whiffed" the Epstein files review.
Specific prosecutorial failures were reportedly cited during the meeting. A key grievance was the Department of Justice's failure to bring a mortgage fraud case against California Senator Adam Schiff, a prominent adversary of Trump. The president is also said to be angry that cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James have not progressed as planned in the Eastern District of Virginia.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported berating of the attorneys.
Fallout and Subpoenas
The fiery exchange occurred just a day before federal prosecutors sent grand jury subpoenas to the Federal Reserve on Friday, January 9. The subpoenas concern the central bank's building renovation project. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, a long-time foe of the president, claimed the probe was politically motivated.
When questioned about Powell on Tuesday, Trump told reporters, "Well, he's billions of dollars over budget. So, he either is incompetent, or he is crooked. I don't know what he is, but he certainly doesn't do a very good job."
US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, who attended the Thursday photo op, defended the subpoenas. She stated they were a response to the Fed refusing to answer her office's formal requests, writing, "None of this would have happened if they had just responded to our outreach."
Despite hand-picking prosecutors for key jurisdictions—like Pirro in Washington DC and former beauty queen Lindsey Halligan in the Eastern District of Virginia—Trump has struggled to install all his preferred candidates. Notably, former Counselor Alina Habba could not be made permanent attorney for the District of New Jersey after her interim post expired; she now serves as Bondi's Senior Advisor for US Attorneys.
