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President Donald Trump said late Saturday that he will nominate senior White House aide Lindsey Halligan to serve as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, one day after the office’s top prosecutor was removed.
The announcement came as Trump has pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi to accelerate investigations into political opponents, part of a broader pledge of retribution that has marked his return to the White House.
“It is my honor to appoint Lindsey Halligan, who has been serving as Special Assistant to the President at the White House, as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Lindsey is a tough, smart, and loyal attorney, who has worked with me for a long time, including in the winning fight against the Weaponization of our Justice System by Crooked Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats, which she witnessed firsthand when she stood up for my rights during the Unconstitutional and UnAmerican raid on my home, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
“As a Partner at the biggest Law Firm in Florida, Lindsey proved herself to be a tremendous trial lawyer, and later represented me (and WON!) in the disgraceful Democrat Documents Hoax, as well as MANY other major, high profile cases. She is extremely intelligent, fearless and, working with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, has the strength and determination to be absolutely OUTSTANDING in this new and very important role. Congratulations, Lindsey – You will do GREAT things for JUSTICE, Virginia, and our Country! Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he added.
Halligan has long been part of Trump’s legal circle, representing him during the FBI’s probe into classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and more recently advising on a White House initiative targeting “wokeness” at Smithsonian institutions.
Her nomination follows the departure of Erik Siebert, who resigned Friday after administration officials pushed for charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James in a mortgage fraud inquiry. Trump later disputed Siebert’s account, writing online, “He didn’t quit, I fired him!”
The investigation into James involves alleged discrepancies on property paperwork in New York and Virginia. James’ attorneys have denied wrongdoing and dismissed the inquiry as politically motivated. The Justice Department has not indicated that prosecutors found evidence sufficient for criminal charges.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the pace of the probe. Earlier Saturday, he posted that he had “reviewed over 30 statements and posts” faulting his administration for inaction. Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House, Trump said, “We have to act fast — one way or the other. They’re guilty, they’re not guilty — we have to act fast. If they’re not guilty, that’s fine. If they are guilty or if they should be charged, they should be charged. And we have to do it now.” He added that Bondi was “doing a GREAT job.”
