President Donald Trump denied that recent prosecutions against some of his most vocal critics amount to “political retribution,” saying the accused “were so dirty, they were so crooked” that prosecution was necessary.
Trump sat for an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” his first interview with the program in five years. CBS correspondent Norah O’Donnell asked the president about recent Justice Department cases brought against his former national security adviser John Bolton, former FBI chief James Comey, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Asked if the prosecutions amount to retribution, Trump reminded O’Donnell that he was indicted first.
“You know who got indicted? The man you’re looking at. I got indicted, and I was innocent. And here I am, because I was able to beat all of the nonsense that was thrown at me,” Trump responded.
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“These people are scum. And yet, when you go after a dirty cop like Comey or a guy like Bolton, who I hear has, I don’t know anything about it, I hear he took records all over the place,” Trump continued. “Letitia James is a terrible, dishonest person, in my opinion. Terrible. I just won the case against her. She wanted me to pay $500 million for something I didn’t do anything wrong on. And the judge just overturned the decision.”
Comey was indicted in September on charges of giving false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. The charges against Comey stem from testimony he delivered to Congress in 2020 on his handling of the FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Bolton was indicted last month. The former national security adviser was charged on 18 counts of retention and transmission of national defense information. According to the indictment, Bolton shared classified information over his personal email, which was later hacked by Iran.
James was also charged last month over a loan she received in 2023 for a mortgage on a house in Virginia. James allegedly claimed the Virginia home as her primary residence when, as New York’s attorney general, she was required to live in the state of New York. The home instead was occupied by a relative of James.
All three defendants have denied the charges against them.
Trump denied that he instructed Justice Department officials to investigate or charge any of the defendants.
“You don’t have to instruct them because they were so dirty, they were so crooked, they were so corrupt that the honest people we have … go after them automatically,” said Trump.
“I think I’ve been very mild-mannered. You’re looking at a man who was indicted many times, and I had to beat the rap,” says President Trump after the recent indictments of high-profile figures who have publicly denounced him. https://t.co/XHoIr77Eh1 pic.twitter.com/tLH0fxW2wI
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) November 3, 2025