Trump administration fires justice department lawyers who investigated him

US President Donald Trump's administration has fired more than a dozen justice department lawyers who worked on two criminal cases against him.They were fired after Acting Attorney General James McHenry concluded they could not "be trusted to faithfully implement the president's agenda because of their significant role in prosecuting the president", a department official told the BBC's US partner CBS News.The lawyers were part of former special counsel Jack Smith's team which investigated Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents and his alleged attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat.The firings on Monday are effective immediately.
Mr Smith was appointed as special counsel in 2022 to oversee the two justice department cases into Trump. The president had vowed to fire him "within two seconds" of taking office, but he quit before his inauguration.Both cases resulted in criminal charges against Trump, who pleaded not guilty.But the cases were closed following his November election win. Prosecutors wrote that justice department regulations do not allow the prosecution of a sitting president.It was not immediately clear which members of Mr Smith's team were fired. Many of those who worked on Mr Smith's teams were career corruption and national security prosecutors who had worked across various administrations and were appointed to the cases.They reportedly received a letter on Monday which said their role in investigating and prosecuting the president made them unsuitable to work in the department."Firing prosecutors because of cases they were assigned to work on is just unacceptable," former US Attorney Joyce Vance told NBC News. "It's anti-rule of law; it's anti-democracy."The firings follow a major reassignment of some of the justice department's top officials with expertise in a wide range of fields including national security and public corruption. On Monday, one of them, the chief of the public integrity section, reportedly resigned.Trump and his team have accused the justice department of pursuing politically motivated cases against him, his associates and Republicans. Trump vowed an immediate overhaul of the department, which he says has been "weaponised" against him, while campaigning for re-election. His nominee to lead the justice department, Pam Bondi, has echoed Trump's view that federal prosecutions against him were political persecution, saying the department "had been weaponised for years and years and years".Mr Smith has publicly defended his work. In a letter accompanying the final draft of his report into Trump's actions after the 2020 election, he wrote: "The claim from [Trump] that my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced or directed by the Biden administration or other political actors is, in a word, laughable."Also on Monday, Washington DC's top federal prosecutor announced the launch of an internal review into the charging decisions behind hundreds of Capitol riot cases, according to CBS.Acting US Attorney Edward Martin, a Trump appointee, ordered prosecutors in his office to turn in documents, emails and other information related to the previous administration's decision to bring an obstruction charge against more than 200 Capitol attack defendants.

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STV News

30 minutes ago

• STV News

Trump says he is open to regime change in Iran

President Donald Trump has called into question the future of Iran's ruling theocracy, seemingly contradicting his administration's earlier calls to resume negotiations and avoid an escalation in fighting. 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???' Trump posted on social media. 'MIGA!!!' The posting on Truth Social marked something of a reversal from defence secretary Pete Hegseth's Sunday morning news conference that detailed the aerial bombing on three of the country's nuclear sites. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Hegseth said. "The damage to the Nuclear sites in Iran is said to be 'monumental.' The hits were hard and accurate. Great skill was shown by our military. Thank you!" –President Donald J. Trump — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 22, 2025 Secretary of state Marco Rubio warned on Fox News that any retaliation against the US or a rush toward building a nuclear weapon would 'put the regime at risk'. Trump's warning to Iran's leadership comes as the US has demanded that Iran not respond to the bombardment of the heart of a nuclear programme it spent decades developing. The Trump administration has made a series of intimidating statements even as it has simultaneously called to restart negotiations, making it hard to get a complete read on whether the president is simply taunting an adversary or using inflammatory words that could further widen the war between Israel and Iran that began earlier this month. Up until the president's post on Sunday afternoon, the coordinated messaging by Trump's vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. Hegseth had said that America 'does not seek war' with Iran, while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. But the unfolding situation is not entirely under Washington's control, as Tehran has a series of levers to respond to the aerial bombings, which could intensify the conflict in the Middle East with possible global repercussions. PA Media Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on Sunday (Alex Brandon/AP). Iran can block oil being shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, attack US bases in the region, engage in cyber attacks or double down on a nuclear programme might seem like more of a necessity after the US strike. Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night, returned to social media on Sunday to lambast Republican Congress member Thomas Massie, who had objected to the president taking military action without specific congressional approval. 'We had a spectacular military success yesterday, taking the 'bomb' right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!)' Mr Trump said as part of the post on Truth Social. At their joint Pentagon briefing, Hegseth and Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 'Operation Midnight Hammer' involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance. General Caine indicated that the goal of the operation — destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — had been achieved. 'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' he said. PA Media An electronic billboard beams an image of president Donald Trump alongside the message 'Thank you, Mr. President' referring to the US involvement in the war between Israel and Iran (Bernat Armangue/AP). Trump asserted on his Truth Social platform that Iran's nuclear sites sustained 'monumental damage' in the American attack, although a US assessment on the strikes is still underway and Iran has not said how much damage was done in the attack. 'The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!' he wrote. Israeli army spokesman Effie Defrin said: 'the damage is deep,' but an assessment with the US continued. 'We are very close to achieving our goals' in removing Iran's nuclear and missile threats, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late on Sunday. The Israeli military confirmed other attacks late on Sunday, which included strikes on Hamedan and Kermanshah in western Iran, as well as strikes in Tehran, Iran's capital. Israel also hit what its military described as a missile production site in Shahroud. Iranian state media reported air defence systems were firing in Tehran early on Monday, while explosions could be heard in the nearby city of Karaj. A social media account associated with Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, published a propaganda post on Monday portraying missile strikes on a darkened city with a giant skull bearing the Star of David on it. 'The punishment continues,' the poster read. PA Media Protesters carry signs during a protest in New York on Sunday against US strikes on Iran (Olga Fedorova/AP). Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 950 people and wounded 3,450 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. The group said of those dead, it identified 380 civilians and 253 security force personnel. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded. While US officials urged caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticised the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington was 'fully responsible' for whatever actions Tehran may take in response. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,' he said at a news conference in Turkey. 'I don't know how much room is left for diplomacy.' China and Russia, where Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the US military action. The attacks were 'a gross violation of international law,' said Russia's Foreign Ministry, which also advocated 'returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course.' A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to 'a global level'. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies. His office said he talked on Sunday with Trump about the need for Tehran to resume negotiations, but Mr Trump would have posted his remarks about regime change after their conversation. The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need for 'a rapid resumption of negotiations.' France's Emmanuel Macron held talks with the Saudi Crown Prince and the Sultan of Oman. Australian foreign minister Penny Wong told Channel Nine news that her government endorsed the strikes, but said 'ultimately we want to see de-escalation and diplomacy'. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

Daily Mirror

31 minutes ago

• Daily Mirror

WW3 fears explained and if world is safer or more dangerous after US bombs Iran

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Aranghchi warned the Donald Trump-ordered bombing campaign would "have everlasting consequences" amid fears Tehran will carry out a strong retaliation to avoid regime collapse Donald Trump's call to bomb key nuclear sites in Iran has sparked fears Tehran could retaliate - with mounting concerns that instability in the region could spark World War Three. Over the weekend the US attacked three nuclear sites in Iran, including the deep underground Fordow facility, with President Trump claiming they had been "completely and fully obliterated." The US President ordered the strikes - dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer - after Israel carried out attacks against the country's nuclear, energy and military infrastructure last week. ‌ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran had been wanting to develop a nuclear weapon to threaten the Jewish-majority state, and said the strikes were to damage its nuclear programme. The International Atomic Energy Agency also found the Fordow site had enriched uranium to 83.7 per cent, which was close to the 90 per cent required to develop nuclear weapons. ‌ But Mr Netanyahu has warned of an imminent threat from Iran for decades, including him using a drawing of a bomb at a 2012 session at the United Nations to warn "by next spring" Iran would have moved onto the final stage of its enrichment programme. The Israeli leader has also called for regime change in Iran without explaining how this would take place and what the impacts of instability in the region could have. The attacks have split the American electorate, who are grappling with President Trump's move to go against his campaign promise of no more wars in the Middle East. They also have the possibility of splitting the US and its allies over what the next steps in the Middle East, with defence analyst Michael Clarke warning it could be the mark the "real end" of the Transatlantic relationship. What are the risks facing the world following the Iran bombing campaign? Cyber attacks 'likely' The US Department of Homeland Security warned on Sunday that cyber attacks against networks in the country were a distinct possibility. In an advisory shared on its national terrorism advisory system website, a Homeland Security expert said: "The ongoing Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States. ‌ "Low-level cyber attacks against US networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against US networks." The department also revealed that both hacktivists and the Iranian government have previously targeted "poorly secured" US networks and internet-connected devices as part of their cyber attacks in the past. Iran out for revenge Iranian government officials primarily blame the US over the death of its general Qasem Soleimani who was killed in a drone strike near Baghdad in January, 2020. US security officials warned Iran's government held a long-standing commitment "to target" US government officials in retaliation for the attack. ‌ In a statement shared over the weekend, a Homeland Security advisory warned: "The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland. "Multiple recent Homeland terrorist attacks have been motivated by anti-Semitic or anti-Israel sentiment, and the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could contribute to US-based individuals plotting additional attacks." End of Transatlantic relationship ‌ Defence analyst Michael Clarke told The Mirror that the attacks on the nuclear facilities could spell the "real end" of the Transatlantic relationship. He added: "The politics of this will be impossible to smooth over and the lack of the common values that the Transatlantic Relationship has always been based on will from now on become very evident. "This week's NATO Summit will be the real breaking point - whatever the very short communique says." Iran's warning ‌ Following the American bombing of its nuclear sites, Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian warned: "The Americans must receive a response to their aggression." His warning was joined by the country's foreign minister Abbas Aragchi stating the strikes would have "everlasting consequences." While Iran's capabilities to coordinate terror attacks across the Middle East has been severely dented after Israel carried out devastating strikes against its terror proxies Hamas, in Gaza, and Hezbollah, in southern Lebanon, there remains concerns its networks could inflict some significant damage on the US and its allies. Middle East 'regime change' ‌ Mr Trump's strikes have opened the door on further American involvement in the Middle East, just months after he vowed to put an end to the country's militaristic involvement in the region. The Republican even made mention of an increasingly loathed phrase in the US, namely "regime change" which invokes doomed projects to establish flourishing democracies in Afghanistan and Iraq following the 9/11 attacks. In a post shared to his social media platform TruthSocial, Mr Trump said: "It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!" The post reflects a change in tone from Mr Trump, who previously slammed both Democrats and Republicans over their support for regime change rhetoric over Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. ‌ Military bases on red alert British forces stationed across the Middle East are now on red alert for potential drone strikes from Iran, Defence Secretary John Healey warned. He added protection of UK Armed Forces was now at its "highest level" following the bombing campaign. In a column in The Telegraph, he said: "The safety of UK personnel and bases is my top priority. Force protection is at its highest level, and we deployed additional jets this week." ‌ Strait closure risks 'economic suicide' Iran has warned it could shut down a vital Middle East oil "choke point" that could send oil prices spiking across the globe. The US has warned any closure of the Strait of Hormuz would be a "terrible mistake." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Fox News: "I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil. "If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it. And we retain options to deal with that, but other countries should be looking at that as well. It would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours."

The Independent

an hour ago

• The Independent

David Lammy refuses to say whether US attack on Iran was ‘right' or ‘legal'

Foreign secretary David Lammy has refused to defend Donald Trump 's attack on Iran and confirm it was either legal or even 'the right thing to do'. In an awkward interview on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, Mr Lammy was asked four times if the attack on Iranian nuclear facilities was legal. It comes after Donald Trump's regime conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, despite Sir Keir Starmer pushing for de-escalation in the preceding days. The questions followed reports that UK attorney general Lord Hermer has suggested it would not be legal for the UK to launch such attacks. Radio 4 Today presenter Justin Webb asked him four times if the attack was legal with the foreign secretary avoiding the answer. 'We were not involved, it is for the Americans to discuss those legal issues," he responded repeatedly. The issue is important because of fears that it undermines the case against Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. However, Mr Lammy was not even able to answer whether the attack by US B-2 stealth bombers was even 'the right thing to do'. Mr Webb asked him: "Was the (US) military action the right thing to do?" Mr Lammy avoided the question, answering: "I've said that we weren't involved in the military action." Webb asked again: "Was it the right thing to do?" Lammy responded: "What I've said is that ultimately this can only be dealt with in diplomacy." The foreign secretary was not the only senior minister to refuse to answer difficult questions about the rapidly changing international crisis in the Middle East. Earlier, armed forces minister Luke Pollard claimed it is 'not for [him] to comment' on US action in the Middle East, refusing to say whether Britain is supportive of US strikes in Iran. Asked whether the UK was disappointed or pleased about the military intervention, Luke Pollard told Sky News: 'Well, it's not for me to comment on the particular US action, but we're assessing the battle damage at the moment to understand the true extent of the strikes. 'But our focus and the work that we are doing in conjunction with our US allies as well as those across Europe, is to put the pressure on the Iranian regime to get back to negotiating because a diplomatic solution is how we bring this crisis to an end.' When it was put to Mr Pollard that it was specifically his role to comment on military action around the world, he replied: 'I'm not going to be able to comment on that question, but what we can say is that we were not involved in the military action that the US took.' He added that Britain's focus was also on putting 'pressure on the Iranian regime to get back to negotiations because a diplomatic solution is how we bring this crisis to an end, with Iran not able to create a nuclear weapon, handing over their nuclear materials that they possess, and giving commitments that they won't threaten regional stability by developing a nuclear weapon in the future'. Over the weekend, the US attacked Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz which are linked to Iran's nuclear programme. Ahead of the strikes, the prime minister had been calling for calm, saying he has 'no doubt' that Mr Trump backs the G7's call for a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East. It is understood there was no British involvement in the action but the government was informed before the US strikes. After the strikes took place, Sir Keir backed Mr Trump's administration describing Iran's nuclear programme as a 'grave threat to international security'. 'Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat', he added. But he later warned there was a risk of the Middle East crisis spiralling beyond the region and urged all sides to return to negotiations.