President Donald Trump signaled Friday he has no plans to ease up on his campaign against federal officials that he believe wronged him.
During a joint press conference with the Japanese prime minister, he was asked about an FBI list of agents who worked on the January 6 riot cases.
Was he planning to fire the FBI agents who worked on those investigations.
‘No but I’ll fire some of them, because some of them were corrupt. I have no doubt about that,’ he answered.
‘I got to know a lot about that business, that world.
‘I got to know a lot about that world, and we had some corrupt agents, and those people are gone, or they will be gone, and it’ll be done quickly and very surgically.’
Trump has claimed that he is not motivated by revenge during his second term.
President Donald Trump said he planned to fire some of the FBI agents who investigated the Jan. 6 rioters ‘because some of them were corrupt’
Almost 1600 people were charged in connection with the Jan 6. attack on the Capitol
But his government has embarked on a huge round of cuts, targeting agencies and department that officials say do not represent the interests of the U.S. or of the new Trump administration.
The Justice Department has been in turmoil since the election.
It led two prosecutions of Trump as well as hundreds of January 6 rioters.
Members of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team who investigated Trump have already been fired, along with prosecutors who worked on the Jan 6 cases.
And last week, the Justice Department asked for a list of names of agents who participated in the Capitol riot investigations so that officials could determine whether additional personnel action was needed.
FBI agents believe the next step will be a round of mass dismissals.
Trump and his allies have long accused the Justice Department of weaponizing their investigative powers.
And one of Trump’s first acts in office was to pardon or commute the sentences of people found guilty of Jan. 6 offenses.
President Donald Trump meets with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, in Washington.
Earlier Trump welcomed Japan’s Prime Minister to the White House earlier by shouting, ‘I love Japan,’ when asked by reporters what his message was for the country.
Later in the Oval Office Trump said they would work together to get the U.S. trade deficit down to ‘even.’
‘Should be pretty easy to do,’ he said. ‘I don’t think we’ll have any problem whatsoever. They want fairness too.’.
A senior Trump administration official told reporters the leaders would discuss military training exercises, increased cooperation on defense equipment and technology, foreign investment and energy.
In less than three weeks in office, the president has upended foreign relations by threatening trade wars and unveiling a plan to take ownership of the Gaza Strip.
But he has adopted a more conventional approach to the Indo-Pacific region when he wants to hold China in check.
‘The United States is proud of our long and close alliance with Japan,’ the official said.
‘Our two nations will continue to work together to ensure we deter threats in the region through our full range of military capabilities.’
