The Corner

The Trump Administration Is Really Bad at Retribution

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President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office, joined by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, August 25, 2025.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

If you’ve been reading or watching Andy McCarthy’s coverage of the Trump administration’s efforts to secure criminal convictions against Trump critics James Comey and Letitia James, you’re probably not surprised by the dismissal (albeit “without prejudice”) of their respective cases.

As Andy has also been careful to note, this is not the end of the story. Statute allows the government to try again, and it surely will. But this saga illustrates why the president’s retribution tour was an ill-conceived project in the first place.

Noah Rothman

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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