Oct. 20, 2025 6 AM PT
To the editor: On Oct. 16, a federal grand jury returned an indictment in opposition to former nationwide safety advisor John Bolton for retaining some labeled paperwork (“John Bolton pleads not guilty to charges accusing him of sharing classified information,” Oct. 17). It is a declaration that “irony is lifeless,” as President Trump was beforehand accused and found to have retained labeled paperwork at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
The president, in what was reportedly a direct message to Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi that was posted publicly accidentally, pressured her to go after FBI Director James Comey, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James. Let’s be clear: The president of the USA is placing a heavy hand on the scales of justice to vindictively search to punish his enemies, and Bolton is simply the newest.
Trump’s rhetoric and conduct fall clearly outdoors the legit province of a democracy and extra squarely into the realm of an autocracy. He has now fully weaponized the Division of Justice in a way far past every other president in U.S. historical past.
Of us, we’re in uncharted waters, and the judicial tsunami unleashed by the president towards Bolton and different perceived enemies could find yourself sinking our democracy.
Ken Derow, Swarthmore, Pa.
