A message posted by President Trump on Truth Social in September pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute several political opponents was intended to be a direct message, reports say.

The Wall Street Journal reported multiple officials said Trump believed he had sent the message to Bondi privately. NBC also confirmed this message’s private nature with a former Trump administration official. 

Both outlets report Trump was surprised to discover the message had been publicly posted on his Truth Social account, with the president trying to shrug it off.  

The Wall Street Journal reported that Bondi grew upset after seeing the message and called Trump and White House aides, leading him to post a second message on the social media platform praising Bondi.

His initial Sept. 20 message pushing Bondi to prosecute his political rivals led to concerns over Trump’s desire to use the Justice Department to target his opponents.

In his message, he addressed Bondi as “Pam” and criticized the lack of action against former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) 

“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump wrote. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

Since he posted the message, the Justice Department has brought charges against both Comey and James. 

Comey faces counts on allegedly making false statements to Congress and obstruction of a congressional hearing over testimony he made in Congress in 2020. He pleaded not guilty to both charges on Wednesday.

James was indicted Thursday in federal court in Virginia on counts of bank fraud and false statements to a financial institution stemming from mortgage fraud accusations. 

In a statement, she criticized the president’s “desperate weaponization of our justice system” and maintained her innocence.

“These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” she said.