U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton: Legal Thought Leaders "Stayed Silent During The Prosecutions Of Donald Trump"

Real Clear Politics ^ | October 22, 2025 | Tim Hains

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and former SEC chair, told CNBC's 'Squawk Box' that "leaders at the bar" and "thought leaders" in the legal world "stayed silent" during the politicized prosecutions of Donald Trump, and have not "scrutinized the Justice Department enough in the prior administration."

Joe Kernen asked: "Who deserves to be the subject of a grand jury? Comey, from what you know?"

"You can ask, but I'm not going to comment," Clayton joked. "I'm going to back up. What do I think about when I go to work? That people have confidence in the Justice Department... I'm not concerned about today. I'm concerned over the past period."

"Are you saying you think the Justice Department was weaponized?" CNBC host asked.

"What I'm saying is we have very prestigious lawyers who make lots of money and are very smart people, and they stayed silent during the prosecutions of Donald Trump," Clayton said. "You did not hear from them."

Asked again if the DOJ was "weaponized," he said: "We have law schools, leaders of the bar, people who know the law -- people look to them as thought leaders and they stayed silent... while the cases against a former president of the United States were proceeding apace."

"We're going to do what America does, fight through it, honestly and transparently," he said.

Here's the full interview with CNBC:

[BenLurkin]

CNBC host asked: “Are you saying you think the Justice Department was weaponized?”

Not the brightest crayon in the tool shed, is he.