Trump blames Bondi after outcry over spy chief Gabbard leading FBI raid on Georgia elections

President Donald Trump used his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday to redirect blame at Attorney General Pam Bondi for sending the director of national intelligence to oversee the FBI’s execution of a search warrant of an election office in Georgia.

At the annual prayer event in Washington, D.C., the president addressed a series of recent actions from his administration, many unrelated to religion, to a room of political, religious and world leaders.

At one point, Trump referenced the recent public scrutiny toward the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, for being present at an FBI raid related to an investigation into the 2020 election. The president indicated that it was his attorney general who had Gabbard attend the raid.

“She took a lot of heat two days ago because she went in at Pam’s insistence,” Trump said, “She went in, and she looked at votes that want to be checked out from Georgia.”

Lawmakers have raised concerns with Gabbard overseeing the FBI raid, in part because Gabbard’s role limits her intervention to foreign intelligence-related matters, but also because it appears to be his administration’s attempt to rewrite the 2020 election to fit his false narrative.

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“They say, ‘Why is she doing it?’ Right Pam? ‘Why is she doing it?’ Because Pam wanted her to do it,” Trump explained.

Last week, the FBI raided the Fulton County election office to seize ballots and voting information from the 2020 election. Trump has long maintained the falsehood that he actually won the 2020 election against former President Joe Biden and that there was election fraud.

Reports from independent commissions and judges have all said there is no evidence of such allegations.

But the public’s interest was piqued when Gabbard was pictured somewhat discreetly at the raid, dressed in a plain black coat while wearing a baseball cap.

As the chief of intelligence, Gabbard’s role is typically focused on overseeing the U.S.’s 18 spy agencies, such as the CIA and NSA, and then making recommendations on national security matters.

Gabbard’s office has defended her presence at the raid, saying federal law allows her to oversee election integrity. However, the statute specifically cites foreign interference in those matters.

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In justifying Gabbard’s involvement in the 2020 election investigation, Trump complained that he was unfairly investigated during his first administration for ties to Russia, after allegations of interference from the country in the 2016 election arose.

The National Prayer Breakfast is an annual event, held in Washington, D.C., in which political, business and social leaders are invited to come together and pray.

While past presidents have used the National Prayer Breakfast to promote peace, faith or unity, Trump appeared to mostly use it promote his accomplishments, insult Democrats and lament about unfair treatment.

Painting himself as figure who was unfairly targeted by indictments, the president insinuated that while he does not utilize his Justice Department for retribution, he has a “right” to.

“They say, ‘Donald Trump is using the Justice Department to get even.’ And I don’t. But wouldn’t I have a right to?” Trump said.

“Think of it, there's never been, in history, a president treated like I got treated,” he added.

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Once again, the president invoked his attorney general, insisting that “we do what’s right, and Pam does it.”

Among other topics, the president boasted about U.S. intervention in foreign conflicts, expansion of the military, his personal desire to “make it” to heaven, First Lady Melania Trump’s new movie, the difficulty in convincing congressional Republicans to vote with legislation, and reflected on how he prefers to look out of airplane windows rather than sleep.