Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino issued a pointed warning to former President Barack Obama this week after the 44th president criticized the Trump administration’s handling of the Department of Justice, escalating an already intensifying political and legal battle over the alleged weaponization of federal law enforcement.
The dispute erupted after Obama appeared for an interview with noted anti-Trump late-night host Stephen Colbert, where he accused President Donald Trump of improperly directing prosecutions against political opponents.
“The White House shouldn’t be able to direct the attorney general to go around prosecuting whoever,” Obama said during the interview. “The idea is that the attorney general is the people’s lawyer. It’s not the president’s consigliere.”
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Obama’s remarks came amid growing controversy surrounding the Justice Department’s recent indictments and investigations involving several longtime Trump critics, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
But Bongino responded forcefully during a public appearance this week, suggesting Obama himself could face scrutiny over actions tied to the Russia investigation and broader allegations of political weaponization during the 2016 transition period.
WHOA!
Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino minces no words – President Barack Obama in on his radar:
“What was with the tweet – the shock to my core? well, in case you missed it, some of you may have, I’m gonna tell ya. Because what Barack Obama said the other day, was it… pic.twitter.com/98gDbClvI3
— Conservative Brief (@ConservBrief) May 8, 2026
“What was with the tweet — the shock to my core? Well, in case you missed it, some of you may have, I’m gonna tell ya,” Bongino said. “Because what Barack Obama said the other day — was it Colbert’s show? No. No, no. We’re not doing that. You know, I know things too, Mr. President.”
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“And I’m not letting you get away with this. No chance,” he added.
Bongino did not specify what information he was referencing, but his comments immediately fueled speculation among Trump allies that additional investigations tied to the origins of the Trump-Russia probe could be forthcoming.
The remarks came just hours after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche publicly rejected Obama’s accusations that the Justice Department is being politicized under Trump.
In an interview with CBS News, Blanche described Democratic criticism of the administration’s prosecutions as “extraordinarily rich,” arguing that Trump himself faced years of investigations and criminal prosecutions under the Biden administration.
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“We are absolutely doing nothing but what we should be doing at the Department of Justice,” Blanche said.
Blanche defended the administration’s authority under Article II of the Constitution, arguing that executive power is vested in the president and that the White House is entitled to direct policy priorities within the Justice Department.
“Article Two says, ‘the executive power shall be vested in the President of the United States of America.’ It does not say that the Attorney General stands off to the side,” Blanche said while holding up a copy of the Constitution during the interview.
The Justice Department has faced mounting scrutiny following a series of aggressive investigations into Trump opponents and former officials.
Comey was recently indicted in North Carolina over a 2025 social media post showing seashells arranged to read “86 47,” which prosecutors allege constituted a threat against Trump, the 47th president. Comey has denied intending violence and said he removed the post after realizing some interpreted it as threatening.
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Meanwhile, earlier indictments against Comey and Letitia James tied to separate investigations were previously dismissed after a federal judge ruled that the interim prosecutor overseeing those cases had been improperly appointed.
Conservatives have increasingly pushed back against Obama’s comments by revisiting allegations surrounding the origins of the Russia investigation during the 2016 transition period.
Mollie Hemingway sharply criticized Obama during a television appearance this week, accusing the former president of helping orchestrate what she described as the “Russia collusion hoax.”
“It’s actually reprehensible commentary from the man who instigated the Russia collusion hoax,” Hemingway said. “He refused to accept his loss. And so he orchestrated this entire effort to run a coup against the incoming president.”
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