President Donald Trump is officially using his administration to go after his political enemies ‒ and because of a tumultuous news cycle, it feels like barely anyone outside of New York has noticed.

On Oct. 9, New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a federal grand jury in Virginia on one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution. She could face up to 60 years in federal prison if she is found guilty.

At the center of the case is a $137,000 home in Norfolk, Virginia, that was supposed to be used as a second home. According to the Justice Department, James has been using it as a “rental investment property” ‒ even though James' grandniece, who was living in the house, testified in June that she did not pay rent, according to The New York Times.

And just this week, John Bolton, former national security adviser to Trump and the latest target of his DOJ attacks, pleaded not guilty in federal court on Oct. 17 after he was indicted on charges of mishandling classified documentation.

Bolton, in a statement, denied the charges and said he is Trump's "latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those who he deems to be his enemies."

Letitia James and Donald Trump: A feud for the ages

This indictment didn’t come out of the blue. On Sept. 20, Trump had posted to Truth Social demanding that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi do something about James, as well as former FBI Director James Comey and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California.

Just days after the president's tyrannical post, Comey was indicted for alleged false statements and obstruction of justice. Schiff is being investigated for potential mortgage fraud.

It’s so obvious that Trump is only going after the New York attorney general because she has worked to hold him accountable for shady business practices and the chaos he has caused in his second term. What’s terrifying is that all this is playing out before our eyes and we just have to watch.

Back in 2022, James sued Trump in civil court for fraud, claiming that the real estate tycoon lied to banks about his wealth in order to receive better terms for loans. He lost the legal battle in 2024 and was ordered to pay $453.5 million in penalties, but an appeals court threw out the financial fine in August. The attorney general's office appealed that decision to the New York Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state.

James is also one of several state attorneys general who is constantly fighting for her constituents against the actions of the Trump administration. She sued him at least 66 times over a two-year span during his first term, and is part of about 40 lawsuits against the president in his second term.

I understand that this might seem excessive to Trump supporters, but the attorney general is simply doing what New York state residents want her to do with her office. James is acting on behalf of the blue state voters who elected her, and she’s doing so quite effectively by holding Trump accountable for his actions ‒ something that no one with congressional power seems to want to do.

The attorney general, for her part, appears defiant in the face of this inane lawsuit.

“I will not bow, I will not break, I will not bend,” James told the crowd at a campaign rally on Oct. 13 for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. I applaud her for that ‒ even though she really has no other option.

Trump keeps weaponizing the presidency

It is largely unsurprising that Trump ‒ a power-hungry man-child who recently said, "I hate my opponent" ‒ is weaponizing the presidency against people who have tried to hold him accountable.

After all, this is the same man who threatened ABC with a lawsuit over a throwaway line on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" He's trying to restrict what Pentagon journalists can report by revoking their access. He says broadcasters who air negative coverage of him should lose their licenses ‒ the kind of thing that we associate with dictatorships.

Trump doesn't want anyone to speak badly about him, nor does he want anyone to hold him accountable for his actions. He's making it clear that everyone is expected to bend the knee and let him do whatever he wants, or face legal action.

It's completely unbecoming of a president, and unfortunately, I expect nothing less.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump is using the DOJ to go after enemies, and we're barely talking about it | Opinion

Reporting by Sara Pequeño, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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