November 24, 2025

Good Monday evening. In this edition: Judge tosses cases against Comey and James; and Pentagon opens investigation into Kelly.

• Plus, China, Ukraine, AI, Jones and a Christmas tree.

Comey & James

A federal judge threw out the indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling that President Trump's appointment of Lindsey Halligan as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia was unlawful.

• U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie concluded that "all actions flowing from Ms. Halligan's defective appointment," including the indictments of Mr. Comey and Ms. James, "were unlawful exercises of executive power and are hereby set aside."

President Trump — who had publicly urged the Justice Department to prosecute the two individuals he viewed as political adversaries — tapped Ms. Halligan for the role after pushing out the previous interim U.S. attorney, Erik Siebert, who had resisted pressure to bring the charges.

• Within days of Ms. Halligan's appointment, Mr. Comey was indicted on charges of making a false statement to Congress and obstructing a congressional investigation, while Ms. James was charged with bank fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution.

Judge Currie ruled that Ms. Halligan's appointment violated federal law because the 120-day limit on how long an interim U.S. attorney may serve without Senate confirmation — or approval from the district's judges — had already expired before she assumed the position.

• "The 120-day clock began running with Mr. Siebert's appointment on January 21, 2025," she wrote. "When that clock expired on May 21, 2025, so too did the Attorney General's appointment authority."

The judge dismissed the cases "without prejudice," leaving open the possibility that prosecutors could refile charges based on the same conduct.

• However, the statute of limitations on Mr. Comey's case expired shortly after the indictment was issued, making it unlikely that charges can be brought again.

Mr. Comey welcomed the ruling, saying he hoped it would send a message to President Trump that he "cannot use the Department of Justice to target his political enemies."

• "I'm grateful that the court ended the case against me, which was a prosecution based on malevolence and incompetence and a reflection of what the Department of Justice has become under Donald Trump, which is heartbreaking," he said in a video message.

Ms. James said she was "heartened" by the ruling and grateful for the support she had received throughout the process.

• "I remain fearless in the face of these baseless charges as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day," she wrote.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt ripped the "partisan" judge's decision and said the Justice Department would appeal the ruling.

• "It is our position that Lindsey Halligan is extremely qualified for this position, but more importantly, was legally appointed to it," she told reporters, asserting that the judge was "trying to shield" the two from "receiving accountability."

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department would fight the ruling in court.

• "We'll be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal, to hold Letitia James and James Comey accountable for their unlawful conduct," she said at an unrelated press conference.

Watch the remarks from Ms. Leavitt and AG Bondi.

Mark Kelly

The Pentagon announced it is investigating Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for "serious allegations of misconduct," days after he appeared in a video with Democratic lawmakers urging U.S. troops to refuse unlawful orders.

• "In accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. § 688, and other applicable regulations, a thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may include recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures," the Defense Department said in a post on social media.

Sen. Kelly, a retired Navy captain and former astronaut, was one of six lawmakers featured in a video released last week reminding members of the military and intelligence community that they have an obligation to refuse illegal orders.

• "Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren't just coming from abroad, but from right here at home. Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders," they said.

President Trump responded by calling the video "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL."

• "Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand — We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET," he wrote on Truth Social.
  
  
• "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!" he added in another post.

The lawmakers did not specify which orders they believed could be unlawful, though several had previously questioned the legality of recent U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean suspected of narcotics trafficking.

• Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, service members must obey lawful orders — even if they disagree with them — but are required to disobey "manifestly unlawful orders."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth condemned the lawmakers' remarks as "despicable, reckless, and false."

• "Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their Commanders undermines every aspect of 'good order and discipline.' Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion — which only puts our warriors in danger," he wrote Monday on social media.
  
  
• "Kelly's conduct brings discredit upon the armed forces and will be addressed appropriately."

Sen. Kelly remained defiant in a lengthy social media post highlighting his decades of military and public service.

• "If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won't work," he said.
  
  
• "I've given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House supports the investigation and accused the lawmakers of attempting to sow discord within the ranks.

• "You can't have a functioning military if there's disorder and chaos within the ranks and that’s what these Democrat members were encouraging," she told reporters.
  
  
• "They knew what they were doing in this video and Sen. Mark Kelly and all of them should be held accountable for that."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) accused President Trump of using the Pentagon as his "personal attack dog."

• "This is what dictators do. I stand with Sen. Kelly, as should any American who doesn't want to be ruled by a King," he wrote on social media.

Watch Ms. Leavitt’s remarks.

In other news…

• President Trump accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Beijing in April after holding a call with the leader. "Our relationship with China is extremely strong! This call was a follow up to our highly successful meeting in South Korea, three weeks ago," he wrote on Truth Social. "Since then, there has been significant progress on both sides in keeping our agreements current and accurate. Now we can set our sights on the big picture." The president added that he invited the Chinese leader for a state visit in the U.S. later in 2026.
  
  

• The U.S.-proposed plan to end the war in Ukraine was slimmed down from 28 points to 19 points following negotiations between American and Ukrainian officials in Switzerland. It's unclear which points were removed, but media outlets reported that the proposal no longer includes a strict limit on the size of the Ukrainian army. "Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine???" President Trump wrote on social media without providing any details. "Don't believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening."
  
  

• President Trump signed an executive order designed to expand the federal government's scientific research capabilities through the widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI). The order establishes the "Genesis Mission," directing the Energy Department and other science agencies to aggressively deploy AI across their research programs. Michael Kratsios, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, called the initiative "the largest marshaling of federal scientific resources since the Apollo program."
  
  

• Doug Jones, the former Democratic U.S. senator, announced he will run for Alabama governor in 2026. "It's time to remind this state of who we are and what we can accomplish together," he said. Mr. Jones, who won a special election in 2017 to fill the seat of former Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) following his appointment as attorney general during the first Trump administration, recently teased his gubernatorial run on C-SPAN's "Ceasefire."
  
  

• First lady Melania Trump received the 2025 White House Christmas Tree. The 25-foot concolor fir was grown at Korson’s Tree Farms in Michigan, which won the Champion Growers of the National Tree Contest.

For your radar…

• President Trump carries on the annual tradition of pardoning a Thanksgiving turkey at the White House on Tuesday. Watch LIVE on C-SPAN at 2pm ET.
  
  

• Pending any major news, this will be the last edition of Word for Word until after the Thanksgiving break. Have a great holiday!

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