On October 12, 2025, President Donald Trump once again thrust himself into the center of the nation’s political drama, using his Truth Social account to call for investigations into one of his most persistent adversaries, Senator Adam Schiff of California. Trump’s demands came hot on the heels of high-profile indictments against two other prominent figures: former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The president’s posts, brimming with characteristic bombast, accused Schiff of dishonesty, corruption, and violations of law and protocol, amplifying the already feverish atmosphere in Washington.
"The Ukraine Impeachment (of me!) Scam was a far bigger Illegal Hoax than Watergate," Trump declared on Truth Social, as reported by multiple outlets including BizPac Review and HuffPost. "I sincerely hope the necessary authorities, including CONGRESS, are looking into this! Adam ‘Schiffty’ Schiff was sooo dishonest and corrupt. So many laws, and protocols, were violated, and just plain broken!!!"
The president’s latest salvo is part of a broader campaign targeting those he sees as key players in efforts to undermine his presidency, particularly the 2019 impeachment inquiry led by Schiff. Trump’s rhetoric, echoed across conservative media and social platforms, paints the Ukraine impeachment as a politically motivated sham, one that he now claims dwarfs even the infamous Watergate scandal in scale and illegality.
These attacks come as the Department of Justice, under Trump’s administration, has moved aggressively against other high-profile figures. Last month, James Comey was indicted on charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice, allegedly for lying under oath to Congress about the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Just last week, Letitia James was indicted on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. Both have denied wrongdoing and vowed to fight the charges in court, according to Mediaite and MEAW.
The indictments themselves were presented to a federal grand jury by Lindsey Halligan, the recently appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Halligan stepped into the role after her predecessor, Erik Siebert, resigned, reportedly due to his refusal to prosecute James. Halligan’s office claims to have presented extensive evidence linking Comey and James to alleged misconduct, though the details of those cases remain closely guarded.
Trump’s pressure campaign hasn’t been limited to public posts. On September 20, he sent what was reportedly meant to be a private message to Attorney General Pam Bondi, but which ended up on Truth Social for all to see. “Pam: I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, ‘same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, Leticia??? They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,’” Trump wrote, as cited by The Wall Street Journal and NBC News. He went on to defend his decision to fire Siebert, whom he labeled a “woke RINO,” and to install Halligan in his place. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump insisted. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!”
For Schiff, these attacks are nothing new. As the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, he led the 2019 impeachment inquiry into Trump’s dealings with Ukraine—a move that drew the president’s enduring ire. Schiff, for his part, has remained defiant. On October 11, the senator posted a video to X (formerly Twitter), responding to the president’s threats. “The president has made no secret of his enemies list. But we will not be intimidated. We will not be deterred,” Schiff said. “We will do our jobs and continue fighting back against these attempts at retribution.”
Schiff’s involvement in the impeachment process—where he accused Trump of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate then-candidate Joe Biden—remains a flashpoint in the ongoing partisan struggle. "Over the course of the last three months, we have found incontrovertible evidence that President Trump abused his power by pressuring the newly elected president of Ukraine to announce an investigation into President Trump’s political rival," Schiff said at the time. The impeachment ultimately failed in the Senate, lacking the votes for conviction, but it set a precedent for the use of impeachment as a political weapon—a precedent that has reverberated through subsequent years, including Trump’s second impeachment following the events of January 6, 2021.
Vice President JD Vance has also weighed in on the flurry of legal actions, appearing on Fox News Sunday in late September to warn that more indictments could be forthcoming. “There will certainly be more indictments coming over the next three and a half years of the Trump administration, but we’re always going to let the law drive this stuff, and the facts of the case and not political motivations,” Vance told anchor Martha MacCallum. He pushed back on critics who claim the prosecutions are politically motivated, asserting, “We’re not letting politics drive this; we’re letting the requirements of the justice system and the law drive this.”
Notably, both Comey and James have issued statements denying any wrongdoing and vowing to vigorously contest the charges. Their legal teams have characterized the indictments as politically motivated and lacking in substantive evidence, a claim that echoes the arguments made by critics of the Trump administration’s approach to justice. Meanwhile, rumors swirl that other prominent Trump critics—such as former National Security Advisor John Bolton—may soon face charges as well, though no official confirmation has been made public.
The broader context here is one of deepening political polarization and a justice system increasingly perceived—by supporters and detractors alike—as a tool in the nation’s ongoing partisan battles. Trump’s supporters see the indictments and investigations as long-overdue reckonings for what they call “lawfare” waged against their president. His critics, meanwhile, warn of a dangerous precedent in which the machinery of justice is turned against political opponents.
For now, the latest chapter in the Trump-Schiff saga seems far from over. With indictments, investigations, and public recriminations flying in all directions, Washington remains on edge—its political class bracing for whatever comes next in a season of unprecedented legal and political turmoil.
