Rick Wilson's The Enemies List
Episode: James Comey: The First of Many?
Date: September 26, 2025
Host: Rick Wilson (Black Pearl Studios)
Overview:
This episode explores the unprecedented indictment of former FBI Director James Comey by the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Trump administration, raising alarms about the growing politicization and weaponization of American institutions. Rick Wilson argues that the DOJ, once a cornerstone of nonpartisan law enforcement, has been transformed into a political tool for retribution against perceived enemies of Donald Trump. The discussion covers the implications for democracy, the root causes behind this shift, and what needs to be done to restore justice and accountability.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The DOJ as an "Enemy of Democracy"
- Context: Traditionally, the DOJ served to enforce laws impartially. Wilson frames its current state as "the enemies list," highlighting the transition from a nonpartisan to a hyper-politicized entity.
- Quote: "...for 235 years, the Department of Justice was largely apolitical...But on Thursday...a woman named Lindsey Halligan...indicted James Comey." — [00:32]
- Weaponization: Wilson traces the decision to indict Comey directly to Trump’s desire for vengeance, not justice.
- Quote: “Donald Trump...wants indictments, he wants punishment. He wants Letitia James and Jim Comey...to be prosecuted, to be incarcerated. Comey is the first big fish.” — [01:23]
2. Lindsey Halligan and DOJ's Political Transformation
- Lindsey Halligan, a former reality TV star, is highlighted as symbolic of the Trump-era trend of appointing unqualified loyalists to critical roles.
- Morale and professionalism within the DOJ are perceived as being undermined, with multiple resignations and ethical handwringing among career prosecutors.
- Quote: “Many people at [the Eastern District of Virginia] quit rather than prosecute this case.” — [01:50]
3. The Real Purpose: Intimidation, Not Litigation
- Trump is described as unconcerned with victory in court, focusing instead on intimidation and “torture” through legal entanglement.
- Quote: “He doesn’t care if he wins it or not. He cares that Comey and his family are tortured...that other people see his political enemies will be punished.” — [03:08]
- The indictment sets a precedent for political prosecutions, and serves to distract the public and media from other pressing scandals, such as the Epstein files controversy and looming government shutdown.
- Quote: “Trump threw this out there knowing that Washington, D.C. and the national news media would chew it up. It was like chum in the water.” — [04:50]
4. Comey's Defiant Response
- Wilson shares and praises Comey's personal statement, highlighting it as a rallying call against capitulating to tyranny.
- Key Quote (Comey):
“We will not live on our knees. And you shouldn't either...Fear is the tool of a tyrant, and she's right. But I'm not afraid, and I hope you're not either...vote like your beloved country depends upon it, which it does.” — [05:36]
- Key Quote (Comey):
5. Historical Parallels and Warnings
- Wilson draws direct comparisons between current DOJ actions and authoritarian expansions of power in 20th-century Germany.
- Quote: “If you think Hitler started with the sweeping horrors, he did not. It was a slow expansion of state power...” — [08:06]
- The “Nuremberg defense” is invoked to illustrate dangers of “just following orders” in morally corrupt systems.
6. Accountability and the Future
- Wilson argues that the only path back to institutional integrity is rigorous legal accountability for those carrying out politically motivated prosecutions.
- Quote: “There are federal laws in this regard...there’s a very straight line on malicious prosecution with Cash Patel and Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche and Donald Trump.” — [10:41]
- He calls on future Democratic presidents to reject the temptation of a “healing” amnesty, insisting justice demands consequences for abuses.
- Quote: “If they take that bait [of reconciliation], what will happen is...another monstrous MAGA figure...will then come back and prosecute the people who prosecuted Bondi and blah, blah, blah. You cannot live in the world that you want...until the wrongdoers are punished.” — [15:26]
7. The Broader Authoritarian Project
- The Trump administration is accused of systematically hollowing out or co-opting federal institutions—including the DOJ, military, regulatory, and intelligence agencies—to serve personal and political interests.
- Quote: “He’s got the DOJ...the intelligence community...about to have the military...Congress ... Comey divides the pro-democracy side. He needed a big fat Epstein distraction.” — [21:36]
8. Call to Action
- Wilson closes by warning Democrats not to repeat the mistake of viewing the law as nonpolitical after witnessing its perversion. He urges activism, accountability, and vigilance.
- Quote: “There’s a Democratic president. You better find the exact polar opposite of Merrick Garland. Because what they have told you now is it's okay to have an activist Attorney General.” — [26:16]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “The person, of course, it all trickles down from the top of the fecal mountain that is Donald Trump.” — Rick Wilson [00:18]
- “Comey is the tip of the spear of this enormous intrusion of government power.” — Rick Wilson [06:26]
- “We will not live on our knees. And you shouldn't either...Fear is the tool of a tyrant...” — James Comey [05:36]
- “Does not dismiss their moral guilt...I'm sure right now there are some DOJ who go, how dare you compare us to the SS or...the guards of Dachau. If you think Hitler started with the sweeping horrors, he did not. It was a slow expansion of state power.” — Rick Wilson [08:06]
- “If the message that MAGA receives is you can break the law with impunity...you will get more of the same.” — Rick Wilson [14:03]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:00–04:50 – Introduction, significance of DOJ, background on Comey indictment
- 04:50–05:35 – How Trump's actions serve as distraction from Epstein files/government shutdown
- 05:36–06:26 – James Comey's statement on courage and civic duty
- 06:27–08:05 – Wilson: Letting go of Comey’s partisan baggage, framing as precedent
- 08:06–10:40 – Historical warnings; Nuremberg defense; consequences for DOJ actors
- 10:41–14:02 – Legal accountability; why punishment is required for institutional survival
- 14:03–21:36 – Systematic institutional breakdown; Trump’s wider authoritarian program
- 21:36–26:16 – Final warnings, call to action to future administrations
- 26:16–End – Show conclusion
Tone/Language
- Passionate, aggressive, and darkly humorous, Wilson mixes historical analogy with contemporary outrage.
- Urgent and confrontational, with explicit calls for action and repudiation of complacency.
- Direct and at times scathing (“top of the fecal mountain that is Donald Trump,” “clownish Trump figure”).
Summary Takeaways
- The indictment of James Comey marks a line crossed for the rule of law in the United States.
- The politicization of the DOJ is both the result and tool of growing authoritarianism.
- Only firm accountability and a refusal to return to naïve “healing” can restore democracy.
- Participation, vigilance, and voting are more essential than ever.