The Wall Street Journal editorial board has issued a blistering critique of both President Donald Trump and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The paper warned that their escalating legal battles threaten the integrity of the American justice system.
In a sharply worded editorial headlined "Donald Trump and Letitia James, Lawfare Pals," published Friday, the Journal accused both figures of turning the law into a political weapon, calling the ongoing courtroom clashes "unhealthy for the republic."
James, a Democrat, brought a civil fraud case against Trump alleging he inflated property values to secure favorable loans.
The Journal noted that despite a lack of evidence showing lenders lost money, the presiding judge initially imposed penalties totaling roughly $500 million.
When that ruling was overturned in August, James vowed to appeal to New York's highest court "to protect the rights and interests of New Yorkers."
Trump's Department of Justice has since brought criminal charges against James.
The Journal said the indictment offered "no indication that anyone lost money," suggesting the prosecution smacks of political retaliation.
The newspaper also criticized federal housing regulator Bill Pulte for "digging through filing cabinets for dirt on Mr. Trump's enemies."
The Journal warned that such selective enforcement could ensnare nearly anyone.
Citing reports that even Republican officials, including Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, had engaged in questionable mortgage practices, the editorial said the nation risks becoming "a banana republic" where legal vendettas replace governance.
The Journal outlined that the pardons issued by President Joe Biden would set a precedent.
"Worried about Mr. Trump's promises of retribution, President Biden issued blanket pardons on his way out the door," the Journal wrote. "After taking his revenge, will Mr. Trump have to do the same on Jan. 20, 2029? This is madness."
The paper concluded that "mutual assured legal destruction is no way to run a great nation," urging both parties to abandon what it called a "historic mistake" of political lawfare.
Notably, Trump is suing the Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, over a report alleging he once sent a lewd birthday card to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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