Fox News media analyst Howard Kurtz delivered a scathing assessment of President Donald Trump’s role in the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, stating that the prosecution was “completely and totally orchestrated by President Trump” during a Thursday panel discussion on Special Report.
Kurtz emphasized his credentials as a former Justice Department reporter while making his pointed critique on September 25, 2025. “Let’s not mince words here,” he declared, signaling his intention to speak directly about the president’s involvement in the criminal case.
The former MediaBuzz host detailed Trump’s systematic approach to securing the indictment, explaining that the president had fired his own appointee as U.S. attorney in Virginia because the prosecutor believed there was insufficient evidence to bring charges against Comey. Trump subsequently installed his former personal attorney, Lindsey Halligan, in the top prosecutor position for the Virginia district where the case was ultimately filed.
Kurtz characterized Halligan as a White House aide and former defense lawyer whose primary objective was to secure the indictment against Comey. He noted that Trump had removed Erik Siebert from the prosecutor role after Siebert faced pressure to indict individuals Trump viewed as political adversaries.
The indictment filed Thursday charges Comey with lying to Congress regarding his authorization of FBI personnel to serve as unnamed sources in news reports about an unspecified investigation. Comey has maintained his innocence regarding the charges.
Kurtz expressed concern about the normalization of presidential interference in criminal cases, arguing that such behavior would have constituted a major scandal in previous administrations. He indicated that any hint of contact between the White House and ongoing criminal investigations would traditionally have drawn significant criticism and oversight.
The Fox News analyst referenced a Truth Social post in which Trump had publicly directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue his political opponents with urgency. Kurtz suggested this demonstrated Trump’s open involvement in what should be independent judicial processes, contradicting the president’s claims that he was leaving such matters to the Justice Department.
The timing of the indictment holds particular significance given the history between Trump and Comey. Trump dismissed Comey as FBI director early in his first administration while the bureau was investigating potential connections between Russian interference in the 2016 election and the Trump campaign.
Kurtz’s commentary stood out as unusually direct criticism of Trump from a Fox News personality, particularly given the network’s generally supportive coverage of the president. His analysis focused specifically on the procedural and ethical concerns surrounding the case rather than its underlying merits.
The media analyst suggested that Trump had successfully manipulated the justice system to achieve his desired outcome through strategic personnel changes and public pressure. He argued that the president’s method of “pulling the strings” had resulted in the initial indictment he sought against his longtime political opponent.
The Virginia district attorney’s office that filed the charges against Comey operates under the leadership of Halligan, who previously served as Trump’s personal legal counsel. This connection reinforced Kurtz’s argument about the orchestrated nature of the prosecution.
Kurtz warned that the American public had become desensitized to what he characterized as unprecedented executive interference in criminal justice matters. He suggested that the systematic nature of Trump’s approach represented a departure from the traditional separation of powers between the executive branch and prosecutorial functions.
The indictment represents a significant escalation in Trump’s efforts to pursue legal action against former officials who opposed him during his previous term. Comey joins a growing list of former government officials facing criminal charges following Trump’s return to office.