{"id":5048,"date":"2026-08-19T23:05:41","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T23:05:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=5048"},"modified":"2026-08-19T23:05:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T23:05:41","slug":"trump-doj-prosecutors-appear-to-be-shaky-about-what-words-mean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=5048","title":{"rendered":"Trump DOJ prosecutors ‘appear to be shaky’ about what words mean"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

On Wednesday, the Justice Department filed an argument attempting to \u201csalvage<\/u>\u201d President Donald Trump\u2019s case against former FBI Director James Comey, who stands accused of threatening Trump\u2019s assassination by posting an image of seashells spelling \u201c86-47\u201d on social media. But according to some experts, the prosecutors doing Trump\u2019s bidding don\u2019t seem to understand what words mean. <\/p>\n

Read more CNN anchor snickers as Trump blows 30 minutes on a new driveway<\/a><\/p>\n

As All Rise News editor-in-chief Adam Klasfeld noted<\/u>, \u201cTrump DOJ prosecutors appear to be shaky on the concept of what \u2018actual malice\u2019 means.\u201d He made this assertion along with a screenshot from the DOJ\u2019s motion, which claims that Comey\u2019s defense team \u201cfails to show actual malice,\u201d arguing that \u201ca defendant must prove with direct evidence \u2018that the prosecutor charging him\u2019 \u2018harbored vindictive animus\u2019 and that he pursued the prosecution \u2018solely to punish\u2019 the defendant for exercising his protected rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

This comes in response to the defense\u2019s argument that Comey was illegally surveilled and that the case should be dismissed due to \u201cvindictive and selective prosecution<\/u>.\u201d As his attorneys argued, \u201cThe ensuing indictment is not based on a good-faith application of the law to the facts; instead, it effectuates a years-long campaign by the president to use the criminal process to punish Mr Comey for his protected speech and because of the president\u2019s deep-seated animosity.\u201d <\/p>\n

Now the prosecution is arguing that the defense provided no evidence of malice on Trump\u2019s part, but here\u2019s the thing: \u201cactual malice\u201d is a legal term with an actual legal definition. According to Slate<\/u> \u2013 defining the term, ironically, in a different case involving Trump\u2019s attacks on Comey way back in 2017 \u2013 \u201cactual malice\u201d occurs when a party either knows a statement is false or acts \u201cin reckless disregard\u201d as to whether it was true. And with that in mind, the Comey defense team has provided plenty of evidence to support its assertion of the president\u2019s vindictiveness. <\/p>\n

According to the distinguished First Amendment law scholar Clay Calvert<\/u>, \u201cTrump has posted that Comey is a: \u2018proven LEAKER & LIAR,\u2019 \u2018weak and untruthful slimeball,\u2019 \u2018total SLIMEBALL,\u2019 \u2018DIRTY COP\u2019 and \u2018corrupt piece of garbage.\u2019 Trump\u2019s posts have branded Comey as: \u2018Shadey [sic],\u2019 \u2018very sick or very dumb,\u2019 \u2018crooked as hell\u2019 and \u2018[o]ne of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to.\u2019 Beyond such expressions of animus and bias against Comey, Trump has about his desire for Comey to face criminal charges, bluntly stating on X in 2018 that Comey \u2018should be prosecuted.\u2019 Even more significant is a September 2025 Truth Social post directed at then-Attorney General Pamela Bondi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more DOJ discloses Trump caused \u2018panel damage\u2019 to Kennedy Center<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cPam,\u201d posted Trump at the time. \u201cNothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam \u2018Shifty\u2019 Schiff, Leticia [James]??? They\u2019re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done … We can\u2019t delay any longer, it\u2019s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW! President DJT.\u201d <\/p>\n

It\u2019s difficult to read assertions like \u201ccorrupt piece of garbage\u201d and not interpret it as vindictive, and Comey\u2019s lawyers agree, arguing that all of this was \u201ca direct admission that the decision to prosecute was not based on the DOJ\u2019s good-faith application of law to facts. Instead, it was based on President Trump\u2019s personal antipathy,\u201d toward Comey, therefore proving selective prosecution.<\/p>\n

As Calvert concludes, \u201cIf Trump\u2019s posts ultimately lead to the indictment\u2019s dismissal, it will provide a cautionary tale about the dangers of running one\u2019s vengeance-filled mouth on social media.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Former WH staffer uncloaks the kryptonite that will take Trump down<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Wednesday, the Justice Department filed an argument attempting to \u201csalvage\u201d President Donald Trump\u2019s case against former FBI Director James Comey, who stands accused of threatening Trump\u2019s assassination by posting an image of seashells spelling \u201c86-47\u201d on social media. But according to some experts, the prosecutors doing Trump\u2019s bidding don\u2019t seem to understand what words mean.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nTrump DOJ prosecutors 'appear to be shaky' about what words mean - Next Address America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=5048\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump DOJ prosecutors 'appear to be shaky' about what words mean - Next Address America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On Wednesday, the Justice Department filed an argument attempting to \u201csalvage\u201d President Donald Trump\u2019s case against former FBI Director James Comey, who stands accused of threatening Trump\u2019s assassination by posting an image of seashells spelling \u201c86-47\u201d on social media. 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