In a complex political moment that reflects the depth of the division within the United States, confrontations are intensifying between the administration of President Donald Trump and its opponents across multiple paths, including the judiciary, the media, and foreign policy, amid increasing accusations of politicizing state institutions and using its tools to pursue opponents.
In the midst of this scene, the dismissal of former Attorney General Pam Bondi was not just a routine change in ministerial portfolios. Rather, it was – according to what the Washington Post editorial board reported – a missed opportunity for the Department of Justice to end a series of successive “judicial embarrassments” that have characterized the past period.
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Numbers have meanings
In its editorial, the newspaper’s editorial board said that President Trump’s decision to dismiss Bondi could have represented an opportunity for the Department of Justice to put an end to its series of repeated embarrassments inside the courtrooms, but this possibility seems completely unlikely.
On Tuesday, the FBI director was indicted the previous (FBI) James Comey, on charges of threatening Trump through a post that the newspaper described as “stupid” on social media in May of last year.
The editorial claimed that Trump “has an intense hatred” for James Comey because of his role in launching investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections, describing the administration’s ongoing attempts to use criminal law to attack political opponents as a failure.
According to the newspaper, a new indictment has been brought against the former FBI director, this time in the Eastern District of North Carolina, after the first attempt in Virginia failed as a result of procedural irregularities in appointing a prosecutor.
The new charge, which raises widespread legal ridicule, is based on a post by Comey on the Instagram platform in May 2025, which included a picture of seashells on a sandy beach forming the numbers “86” and “47”.
While the number 47 clearly represents Trump, who is the 47th president of the United States, the number 86 is used in American colloquial language to mean getting rid of something, and in the hospitality industry it refers to an unwanted person.
Please the boss
However, the editorial described the case as “the most ridiculous” in a series of legal attempts targeting Comey, noting that proving criminal threatening intent according to strict constitutional standards, especially those related to the First Amendment, appears to be extremely difficult.
The newspaper also pointed out that Comey quickly deleted the post after a wave of criticism, which it considered an indication of the absence of criminal intent, suggesting that the post was intended to express a desire to exclude Trump politically, not physically.
According to the editorial, this prosecution, which is being supervised by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, is seen by analysts as a desperate attempt to please a president who seeks to see his opponents suffer “under the penalty of procedural law” the same way he experienced in his previous years.
The newspaper warned that this “maneuver” may help install Todd Blanche in his position, but America and even the Republican Party may pay the price.
I have a media arm
In another opinion piece, the Washington Post editorial board noted that tensions between the White House and the media come against the backdrop of a new campaign targeting comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
The newspaper explained that the Federal Communications Commission suddenly announced on Tuesday a review of the broadcast licenses granted to Disney, the owner of the ABC media network, many years before their due date.
This move – according to the newspaper’s monitoring – comes the day after Trump publicly demanded that comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show be canceled in response to a joke in which he described First Lady Melania Trump as having the “glow of a widow-in-waiting,” during a parody of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Despite committee chairman Brendan Carr’s attempts to portray the timing as a “coincidence” resulting from investigations into diversity and inclusion initiatives, the Washington Post considers the use of state agencies to retaliate against freedom of expression “blatantly unconstitutional.”
In a reference not without sarcasm, the newspaper stated that Trump’s attempts to “twist the arm” of major companies often reflect positively on the victims, as Kimmel’s viewing rates rose and he achieved billions of views on YouTube as a result of this official targeting, which proves the failure of the oversight tool to achieve its political goals.
Part of demonstrators carrying the slogan “No Kings” in protests in American states last year against Trump’s policies (Al Jazeera)
Trump is not a king
In a parallel context, a report published by the American website “The Daily Beast” shed light on a controversy sparked by official White House publications, after a picture of Trump was published next to Britain’s King Charles III, accompanied by the phrase “two kings.”
The report, prepared by journalist Vic Verbalaitis, considered that this message reflects a contradiction with Trump’s repeated denial of any comparison of him to kings, at a time when internal protests are escalating under the slogan “No kings.”
Although the president asserted in interviews with American media – such as the “60 Minutes” program on CBS and Fox News – that he is “not a king,” he faced criticism for decisions that were considered an abuse of powers.
The Daily Beast report lists a list of actions that reinforce this impression, starting with the unilateral imposition of global customs tariffs on what it called “Liberation Day,” through the publication of artificial intelligence-produced videos depicting him cresting atop a warplane, all the way to the recent steps taken by the State Department to issue passports bearing his face and personal signature.
The report also indicated that he demolished the eastern wing attached to the White House to build a huge celebration hall worth $400 million without waiting for the green light from lawmakers, which perpetuates the image of a leader who seeks to bypass the constitutional “protection barriers” that ensure the balance of power between the authorities.
Restoring balance in foreign policy requires a more humble and cooperative approach, based on respect for democratic institutions and building internal consensus, which would send a strong message to adversaries that America is still capable of cohesion and leadership.
A foreign policy based on humility
On the foreign policy level, Joseph Bosco, a former Defense Department official, addressed – in an article published by The Hill website – the challenges facing the Trump administration in dealing with what he described as an “authoritarian axis” that includes Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.
The writer stated that this coalition is working in a coordinated manner to undermine the international system led by the United States, citing the mutual support between these countries in the ongoing conflicts, from the war in Ukraine to the tensions in the Middle East.
Bosco criticized what he considered a unilateral approach on the part of the administration, especially in making military decisions without sufficient coordination with Congress and allies, calling for rebuilding internal and external confidence, and strengthening international cooperation to confront common challenges.
The writer also warned that the continued internal political division may weaken the United States’ ability to deter, and give its opponents an opportunity to expand their influence.
At the conclusion of his article, Bosco stressed that restoring balance in foreign policy requires a more humble and cooperative approach, based on respect for democratic institutions and building internal consensus, considering that this would send a strong message to adversaries that the United States is still capable of cohesion and leadership.
