Donald Trump campaigned in 2024 on ending violent crime, but still a month into his new term the direction of his Department of Justice is still unclear.
While his newly confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi has said in interviews that the president’s directive – to Make America Safe – provides clear guidance, means that the administration will focus on violent crime and illegal immigration, that guidance has not yet been put into effect yet in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Moreover, President Trump has yet to nominate a new United States Attorney for the EDNC.
If the federal government continues to prosecute on violent crime, that focus would not represent a change for the EDNC, where violent crime and drug crimes have historically been the focus of the local federal prosecutors.
As a “guns and drugs” district, EDNC prosecutors have avoided complex fraud and white collar prosecutions in favor of drug trafficking, Armed Career Criminal, Firearm by Felon, 924(c) Firearm in Furtherance, Hobbs Act (Robbery) violations.
