Donald Trump is once again under fire — this time for what critics call a “fake pretext” to target his political enemies, with Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook as the latest in the crosshairs.
Trump demanded Cook resign after one of his own appointees, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte, referred her to the Department of Justice over what he claims is mortgage fraud. On Wednesday, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Cook must resign, now!!!” and linked to a Bloomberg report about the referral.
Pulte accused Cook of signing a mortgage in Michigan, saying she would live there full-time — then taking out another mortgage in Georgia two weeks later, also claiming that as her primary residence.
But many are calling the move baseless and political.
“William Pulte, a Trump loyalist, is using the FHFA bureaucracy to help Trump gin up fake pretexts for prosecutions of his enemies,” wrote journalist Greg Sargent of The New Republic. He quoted a former inspector general who said: “From beginning to end, this process is highly irregular.”
Critics are sounding the alarm, saying this is part of a larger strategy to weaponize the government against those who oppose Trump.
“Okay so apparently the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency has become a key part of the Trump authoritarian regime,” wrote activist Will Stancil. “Using the housing finance agency as a tool for political repression is really wild.”
The list of people targeted with similar accusations is growing — and it’s raising red flags. Lisa Cook joins New York Attorney General Letitia James and Congressman Adam Schiff on the list of officials accused of mortgage fraud by the same man: Bill Pulte.
“Lisa Cook is an innovative and thoughtful economic analyst,” said law professor Kali Murray. “I find it interesting that Leticia James, Adam Schiff and Lisa Cook have all been accused of mortgage fraud, by one man, William Pulte.”
Others pointed out the double standard.
“Let’s have everyone found guilty of mortgage fraud resign — starting with Trump,” said political science professor Michael McDonald.
International relations professor Nicholas Grossman didn’t hold back either: “The Trump regime tries to manufacture legal cases against responsible US officials such as Fed governor Lisa Cook by lying about mortgage fraud… Trump has committed a lot of mortgage fraud, among other frauds.”
Commentators also highlighted what they saw as racial motivations behind targeting Cook.
“Crazy, what is it about Lisa Cook that might have led the White House to baselessly accuse her of mortgage fraud in order to force her out of her job?” wrote New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie, alongside a photo of Cook, who is Black.
Journalist Jesse Berney responded: “Does she have anything in common with NYAG Letitia James, whom the administration has also accused of mortgage fraud?”
Critics also say this fits a pattern of Trump projecting his own wrongdoing onto others.
“They keep accusing people of this, weird, almost like their boss knows a lot about mortgage fraud,” posted Bluesky user Evan.
“Trump lost his mortgage fraud trial. So now everybody else in the world will be accused of mortgage fraud,” said podcaster David Waldman.
Analyst Jodi Vittori warned this might only be the beginning: “This could be an early sign that accusations of mortgage fraud will be the lawfare used for many government purges.”
And veteran journalist Mark Jacob summed it up: “The New York Times knows these BS mortgage fraud accusations by the Trump regime are the very definition of ‘lawfare.’”
Trump’s allies say they’re just enforcing the law. But critics see it clearly: a political hit job disguised as justice.
