During a recent photo opportunity at the White House, former President Donald Trump reportedly expressed frustration with U.S. attorneys, criticizing them for not effectively advancing his agenda in the judicial system.

According to sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Trump labeled the attorneys as inadequate, expressing feelings of betrayal and dissatisfaction over what he perceived as their sluggish efforts to prosecute his political adversaries.

The event, which took place last Thursday, featured Attorney General Pam Bondi introducing numerous U.S. attorneys to Trump as part of a ceremonial gathering.

However, sources indicate that Trump used this occasion to reprimand the attorneys, accusing them of inefficiency and suggesting they were hindering Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in their roles at the Department of Justice.

The White House did not immediately reply to the Daily Mail’s request for comments regarding Trump’s alleged criticism of his legal team.

This display of discontent appears to be an attempt to deflect criticism from Bondi, despite Trump’s private grievances with his Attorney General.

Trump, according to the Journal, has been furious over Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and the fact that prosecutions – like of former FBI Director James Comey and New York AG Letitia James – have not gone to plan.

The president also agreed with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles’ assessment to Vanity Fair that Bondi ‘whiffed’ the Epstein files review, the Monday report notes.

President Donald Trump raged against his US attorneys during a ceremonial photo shoot at the White House on Thursday, January 8, 2026

US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro posted an image to Instagram of dozens of US attorneys from across the country waiting at the White House to take a picture with President Donald Trump

A Wall Street Journal report says that Trump criticized the group and accused the prosecutors of being ineffective and making it harder for Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to do their jobs at the Department of Justice

Among his grievances at Thursday’s meeting, the sources claim, was the DOJ’s failure to bring a mortgage fraud case against California Senator Adam Schiff, one of Trump’s most prominent adversaries.

The people claim that Trump criticized prosecutors out by name, but the report didn’t list who specifically got a callout.

The fiery White House exchange last week with his US attorneys came the day before federal prosecutors sent grand jury subpoenas to the Federal Reserve on Friday regarding the central bank’s building renovation project.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who has remained at odds with the president since he retook office, claimed in a video statement Sunday that the probe is politically motivated.

Asked about Powell on Tuesday, Trump told reporters: ‘Well, he’s billions of dollars over budget. So, he either is incompetent, or he is crooked. I don’t know what he is, but he certainly doesn’t do a very good job.’

US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, who was at Thursday’s photo op, said Monday that the subpoenas was in response to the Fed refusing to provide answers to her office’s formal requests.

‘None of this would have happened if they had just responded to our outreach,’ Pirro wrote in her post. ‘This office makes decisions based on the merits, nothing more and nothing less.’ 

US Attorney for the Eastern Distrcit of Virginia Lindsey Halligan was at the photo op. She runs the office for the district where Trump is mad cases aren’t progressing against his political enemies James Comey and Letitia James

Trump has hand selected several prosecutors to place in the most consequential jurisdictions in the US – including Pirro in Washington, DC and former beauty queen Lindsey Halligan in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Still the president has not been successful in putting in place all of his preferred prosecutors.

Like in New Jersey where Trump has been unable to force through former Counselor to the President Alina Habba to be permanent attorney in the District of New Jersey after her interim position expired.

Now, Habba serves as Bondi’s Senior Advisor for US Attorneys.