Conservatives slam MSNBC report claiming Hayes has doubts about prosecuting Schiff

Ben Mause, Baltimore Sun on Oct 25, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

WASHINGTON — The conservative media doesn’t believe the MSNBC report that Maryland U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes has doubts about prosecuting Sen. Adam Schiff.

The left-leaning MSNBC reported Thursday that Hayes recently told her superiors that the case wasn’t strong enough to move forward. President Donald Trump has in the past pressured officials who did not deliver indictments. Once the report was released, conservative reporters and influencers rallied around Hayes to deny its merits.

“Maryland U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes did not say that she didn’t believe the mortgage fraud case against Adam Schiff was strong enough to pursue,” Susan Crabtree, a reporter for right-leaning news outlet RealClearPolitics, posted on X. “Kelly is the same US attorney to indict John Bolton and is not backing away from the Schiff case.”

Crabtree joined a host of conservative personalities who rushed to defend Hayes after the report, with popular right-wing commentators Jack Posobiec and Alex Lorusso among them.

“This is false,” Lorusso said of the report. “She is the same U.S. Attorney who indicted John Bolton and the investigation into Schiff is ongoing … ”

After a lengthy investigation, Hayes reportedly met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche earlier this week about the investigation. She left with the directive to search for more evidence, according to NBC.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche denied that the meeting occurred.

“Excited to hear more about this made-up meeting!” Blanche posted on X. “Also, unequivocally: U.S. Attorney Hayes has told me no such thing.”

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who served under President Donald Trump during his first administration and remains in the orbit of Trumpworld, also disputed Hayes’ alleged comments, citing her indictment of former National Security Advisor John Bolton.

The president has held a vendetta against Schiff, a California Democrat, since 2020, when Schiff held a prominent role during Trump’s first impeachment trial in the House of Representatives. Since then, Trump has frequently insulted Schiff and accused him of corruption.

Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James have been under investigation for alleged mortgage fraud for months. James has since been indicted. She pleaded not guilty to the charges on Friday.

While conservatives rallied around Hayes, some speculated that she could join other prosecutors who have declined to pursue charges against Trump’s political enemies — in the unemployment line.

“You’ve seen it yourself in the papers,” Michael Scotto, a legal analyst and former prosecutor, told The Baltimore Sun. “There’s other times when people have either felt they were forced out and so they resigned, or they were out and out fired.”

“Look what happened with the James investigation,” Scotto added. “They ultimately installed somebody who was interested in bringing an indictment that other prosecutors didn’t think was appropriate or could be proved.”

Erik S. Siebert, the head federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia, resigned last month after refusing to indict James. Trump then appointed Lindsey Halligan, a former member of his legal team. Halligan then indicted James and former FBI Director James Comey, though many legal experts considered the cases against them to be weak.

Trump appointed Hayes as the interim U.S. attorney for Maryland in March. She was fully sworn into office in June.

The White House referred questions about speculation of Hayes’ job status to the Department of Justice. The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication.

Trump reiterated his disdain for the California senator on Thursday.

“Adam Schiff is one of the lowest forms of scum I’ve ever dealt with in politics,” Trump said. “He’s a horrible human being, very dishonest person.”

_____