Trump Suspends Covington & Burling Security Clearances Over Jack Smith Work; Eagles Invited; “Trump Was Right”

President Trump signed an order on February 26, 2025, suspending and reviewing the security clearances of attorneys and employees at Covington & Burling LLP who had provided legal services to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office, calling it “the Deranged Jack Smith signing.” AG Bondi said the administration was “looking at the whole panoply of options” for holding accountable those who supported the weaponization of government. In lighter moments, Trump held up a “Trump Was Right About Everything” sign a fan had sent and offered it to reporters, confirmed the Philadelphia Eagles would be invited to the White House for winning the Super Bowl, and delivered a unity message at the National Governors Association dinner.

”The Deranged Jack Smith Signing”

Attorney General Pam Bondi set up the signing by framing it within the administration’s broader anti-weaponization mandate. “At the outset of your administration, sir, you committed to ending the weaponization of government, to holding those accountable who participated in the weaponization of government,” Bondi said.

Trump interjected with characteristic flair: “Hold it. This is a good one. Is everybody listening? Deranged Jack Smith. We’re going to call it the Deranged Jack Smith signing or bill.”

Bondi then described the specific action. “One law firm that provided pro bono legal services to the special counsel’s office under Jack Smith — its leadership was Covington & Burling,” she said. “As a result of those actions, we’re now going to be suspending and putting under review the security clearances for the attorneys and employees at that firm who worked with Jack Smith’s team.”

She added the forward-looking warning: “And we’re going to continue holding the people who were responsible for the weaponization of government, who supported it, accountable for what they did.”

The action against Covington & Burling was significant because it extended the accountability framework beyond government officials to the private-sector firms that had assisted them. Covington & Burling was one of Washington’s most prestigious law firms, and its attorneys’ work with the special counsel’s office had been provided on a pro bono basis — meaning the firm had volunteered its services for the prosecution of Trump without charging fees.

Trump’s framing of the pro bono work as complicity in weaponization challenged a norm in the legal profession where providing free legal services was traditionally viewed as a public good. The administration was arguing that volunteering legal expertise to a politically motivated prosecution was not public service but political warfare.

”Other Firms” on Notice

A reporter asked whether the action would extend to other law firms. Bondi confirmed: “And you’ll be doing this with other firms. This time goes by, right?”

She described the broader scope: “We’re looking at sort of the whole panoply of options. The weaponization of our system by law firms, even pro bono work they’re doing just in order to clog up government, stop government.”

Trump added his own perspective. “Nobody knows about it more than me,” he said. “And hopefully that’ll never happen again.”

The warning to “other firms” sent a signal across Washington’s legal establishment. Law firms that had participated in various legal actions against Trump — whether through the special counsel investigation, the House January 6 Committee, or other proceedings — were now on notice that their work could have consequences. The administration was establishing a precedent that providing legal support for what it characterized as political persecution could result in the loss of security clearances, government contracts, and access.

”Trump Was Right About Everything”

In a moment of levity that became the day’s most shared clip, Trump held up a sign that a supporter had mailed to the White House.

“Look, see that? ‘Trump Was Right About Everything,’” the president said, showing the sign to the press corps. “It just came in. Somebody said — this was sent in by a fan. I said, I think we should make some of them, right?”

He then offered the signs to reporters in the room. “Would anybody like one?” Trump asked. When one reporter appeared to hesitate over journalistic ethics, Trump quipped: “Are you allowed to take one? Because he’ll consider it. I know him. Well, he’s sort of a stiff.”

Trump pressed the point with humor: “Always say yes to the president. Always say yes to the president.”

The exchange produced laughter across the room and demonstrated Trump’s ability to turn even a signing ceremony into entertainment. The “Trump Was Right” merchandise moment was simultaneously a joke, a victory lap, and a message to the media: everything they had characterized as dangerous or delusional during the campaign — from DOGE to tariffs to border enforcement — was now being validated by results.

”Don’t Talk to Me About Targeting”

The briefing also produced a tense exchange when a reporter’s question implied that the Covington & Burling action constituted targeting.

Trump’s response was immediate and personal. “I’ve been targeted for four years, longer than that,” he said. “So you don’t tell me about targeting. I was the target of corrupt politicians for four years and then four years after that. So don’t talk to me about targeting.”

The retort drew on Trump’s personal experience as the subject of multiple criminal investigations, two impeachments, and numerous civil lawsuits during and after his first term. His argument was that any discussion of “targeting” needed to begin with the unprecedented legal assault he had endured — and that holding accountable the people who participated in that assault was accountability, not targeting.

Philadelphia Eagles: “They Deserve to Be Down Here”

When asked whether the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles would receive a White House invitation, Trump responded without hesitation.

“They will be. We haven’t yet, but we will be,” Trump said. “I thought it was a great performance by them. And absolutely, they’ll be extended that invitation.”

He turned to his staff: “Would you do that right away, by the way? We’ll do it right away. We’re going to do it sometime today.”

Trump added: “They deserve to be down here, and we hope to see them.”

The Eagles invitation carried historical resonance. During Trump’s first term, the Eagles had been disinvited from a White House visit following the 2018 Super Bowl amid a dispute over player attendance related to the national anthem protests. The immediate and enthusiastic invitation for the 2025 Super Bowl champions suggested that the dynamic had changed — both in terms of the political temperature around professional sports and the Eagles organization’s relationship with the White House.

Governors’ Dinner: “One United Nation”

Trump closed the day at the National Governors Association dinner, where he delivered remarks aimed at both Republican and Democratic governors.

“Tonight, let us all recommit ourselves to strengthening America, making it something even more special than it has been,” Trump said. “And we’re going to be one united nation, and maybe together, this is going to be the evening that we start uniting.”

He concluded with a call for solidarity: “We’re going to unite. We’re going to hold each other close, and we’re going to fight for our country.”

The unity message at the Governors’ dinner contrasted with the confrontational tone of the earlier briefing, where Trump had signed an order targeting a law firm and told a reporter not to talk to him about targeting. The juxtaposition illustrated the dual registers of the Trump presidency: fierce accountability for those he viewed as adversaries, and genuine warmth and inclusion for those willing to work together.

Key Takeaways

• Trump signed an order suspending security clearances for Covington & Burling LLP attorneys who worked with Special Counsel Jack Smith, calling it “the Deranged Jack Smith signing.”
• AG Bondi said the administration was “looking at the whole panoply of options” for holding other firms accountable for supporting the “weaponization of government.”
• Trump held up a fan-sent “Trump Was Right About Everything” sign and offered them to reporters, joking: “Always say yes to the president.”
• He confirmed the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles would be invited to the White House “sometime today,” saying “they deserve to be down here.”
• At the Governors’ dinner, Trump called for unity: “We’re going to be one united nation, and maybe together, this is going to be the evening that we start uniting.”