Former U.S. President Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to use the powers of government to exact revenge on those he believes wronged him. Now, it appears he is making good on that promise.
اضافة اعلان
On Friday, the FBI searched the home of John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser turned critic, who last week described the administration in an interview as “a presidency of vengeance.”
Trump’s team has also opened investigations into New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who sued the Trump Organization over alleged fraud, and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California, who led Trump’s first impeachment trial.
His Republican administration has accused Democratic Rep. Lamonica McIver of New Jersey over her actions in an immigration protest, following the arrest of Newark’s Democratic mayor Ras Baraka. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, now a candidate for New York City mayor, is also under investigation.
Trump further directed prosecutors to investigate two other officials from his first administration: Miles Taylor, who authored a book warning of Trump’s authoritarian tendencies, and Chris Krebs, who angered Trump by assuring voters that the 2020 election was secure.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Saturday: “Joe Biden used his administration as a weapon to target his political opponents, most famously President Trump.” She added that Trump is now “restoring law and order.”
In addition, Trump has deployed the military in U.S. cities to combat crime or assist in apprehending migrants, sending thousands of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers to patrol the streets of Washington, D.C.
These simultaneous moves have alarmed Democrats and others who fear Trump may be using his office to intimidate political opponents and consolidate power in unprecedented ways.
Brendan Nyhan, a political science professor at Dartmouth College, said: “When you combine the threat of prosecution with the deployment of the armed forces in the streets, the picture becomes very clear to anyone who has read a history book about the kind of administration we are dealing with.”
Election Investigations in Focus
Trump began his second term by pardoning more than 1,500 people convicted over the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. His Justice Department dismissed some federal prosecutors who pursued these cases. Attorney General Pam Bondi also ordered a grand jury to examine the origins of the investigation into Trump’s 2016 campaign ties to Russia.
The U.S. special counsel’s office has opened an investigation into Jack Smith, the prosecutor who investigated Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and the classified documents hidden at his Florida resort.
On Friday, Trump also used his government authority in other ways to advance his agenda, including an unsuccessful attempt to seize control of the independent Federal Reserve.
After the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency alleged that a central bank governor committed fraud in mortgage transactions, Trump demanded her resignation or dismissal. He also announced that Chicago might be the next city where troops would be deployed.
Trump Sees Himself as “Chief Law Enforcement Officer”
Trump said he told his team not to inform him of the Bolton home search ahead of time but stressed that he had authority over all legal cases.
“I may know about it, I may have initiated it,” Trump told reporters. “I am, in fact, the chief law enforcement officer.”
Bolton’s name appeared on a list of 60 former officials compiled by current FBI director Kash Patel, described as a record of the “deep state in the executive branch.” Critics warned it was essentially an “enemies list.” When Trump returned to office in January, his administration disbanded the team protecting Bolton, who has faced assassination threats from Iran.
Widespread Retaliation Extends to Judges, Military
Trump’s administration has also targeted institutions that opposed him. It filed a misconduct complaint against a judge who ruled that Trump officials may have committed criminal contempt by ignoring an order to return planes transporting detainees to a notorious prison in El Salvador.
These actions are part of what appears to be an escalating campaign. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed several military commanders deemed insufficiently loyal, while earlier this week, the administration revoked security clearances for about 36 current and former national security officials.
Justin Levitt, a former Justice Department official who served in the Biden White House and is now a law professor at Loyola Marymount University, said: “This is what he promised. This is what bullies do when no one tells them no.”
—(AP)
