Former President Donald Trump is again pressuring his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to prosecute his political foes — and a Fox News panel is warning him not to hand the left a propaganda victory. In recent Truth Social posts, Trump demanded Bondi move “immediately” against figures such as Adam Schiff, James Comey and Letitia James, blasting what he calls “delays” as unacceptable.
On Fox & Friends Weekend, Tomi Lahren cautioned:
“I do struggle with this, in all honesty,” Lahren said. “Not that I don’t think a lot of these people need to be investigated to the fullest extent, I do. I want transparency and I want accountability for a lot those folks that he mentioned in that Truth Social post. [But] for me, sometimes it’s like, don’t give the left the talking point of political weaponization — even though those of us at the table know the baloney, and we understand. I don’t like giving fodder to the left in this way.”
That warning echoes what many conservatives quietly admit: While frustration over double standards at DOJ and the FBI is legitimate, even the appearance of weaponizing prosecutorial power for political payback risks destroying the very principle you’re trying to save.
Trump’s push came as conservatives were also celebrating ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the comedian’s inflammatory comments about the Charlie Kirk shooting. Trump cheered Kimmel’s downfall — and some of his allies even floated using FCC authority to discipline broadcasters. But the panel stressed that the two episodes — prosecutions and broadcast regulation — show the same danger:
Panelist Joey Jones said:
“I think this is where you and I both are,” Jones said. “Like, even on the fact that Jimmy Kimmel was taken off air. And there’s this conservative undertone, or libertarian undertone, like, ‘Hey, listen, we get it, but let’s not be them. And let’s not take him off air.’”
Conservatives have spent years arguing that Democrats weaponize government, from the IRS to the Justice Department. If Republicans mimic those tactics, they don’t just risk losing the moral high ground; they also risk validating the left’s narrative.
The better move is to insist on equal justice under the law, not selective justice. If wrongdoing is real, let the evidence and process work without public threats or political ultimatums. Doing otherwise erodes the credibility of prosecutions and invites retaliation by the next administration.
Trump’s instincts to fight are understandable. But as the Fox News panel noted, fighting smart means resisting the urge to turn government power into a partisan bludgeon. Conservatives gain more by defending neutral principles — even when it protects their critics — than by imitating the tactics they oppose.
(Image by Grok for American Thinker)