Trump Told DOJ to Free a State Prisoner Like It’s DoorDash

A former president just told the Department of Justice to “take all necessary action” to free a state prisoner he’s calling an “innocent political prisoner.”

That’s not a tweet. That’s a separation-of-powers stress test, run by a man who treats government like a group chat where the loudest guy becomes admin.

This is the part where the Brennan Center is basically screaming into the void that the DOJ is not Trump’s personal bail bondsman. He’s publicly pressuring federal prosecutors to reach into a state case and yank someone out because he likes the vibes.

If you’re wondering why this matters beyond the usual “Trump said a thing” circus: the DOJ is supposed to enforce federal law, not act as an on-demand cudgel for whoever’s trying to build a martyr playlist. When a national figure starts ordering “necessary action” against a state prosecution, you’re not watching ‘law and order’—you’re watching a hostile takeover attempt.

And even if you love the idea of freeing “the right people,” congrats: you just taught every future president—blue, red, or sentient beige—that prosecutions are negotiable if you have enough clout. The powerful get a hotline; everyone else gets a public defender juggling 200 cases and a vending machine dinner.

Meanwhile, your actual rights don’t get press conferences. They get quietly sanded down while the DOJ tries to figure out whether it’s a law enforcement agency or a customer service desk.