Donald Trump I ran on the promise to use it Government powers For revenge against those he believed. He now appears to be fulfilling the promise of his campaign, threatening to expand his power beyond Washington.
On Friday, the FBI searched for the house John Bolton, Criticism of Trump’s first-term national security advisorin an interview last week called “The Retribution Presidency.”
Trump’s team has it The investigation has begun Democrat Letitia James, New York State Attorney General He sued Trump’s company Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif, who led Trump as a lawmaker over alleged fraud to forge records. First bullet each. Republican administration has it Rep. Ramonica McQuiver indicteddn.J., over her actions in the immigration protests in Newark, New Jersey; Arrest Mayor Las Baraka is also a Democrat. Under investigation Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomoa candidate for mayor of New York.
Trump has directed prosecutors to investigate Two other members His first administration: Miles Taylorwrote a book that warned him that he said he was a Trump authoritarian tendency, and Chris Krebs, who won the presidential rage to assure voters that the 2020 election in which Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden. It was safe.
The action appears to be a recall that Trump said he would pursue after being hit with four separate criminal charges during his four-year tenure. They included his accusations Efforts to overturn the 2020 election It was destroyed by the US Supreme Court. The president has a broad immunity From the prosecutor’s official act while in office.
“Joe Biden has used his administration as a weapon to target his political opponents. The most famous President Trump,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said on Saturday. Trump is “restoring law and order,” she said.
In addition to making good things for him Promise of retributionTrump deployed his troops to American cities to fight crime or help arrest immigrants. He sent thousands National Guard Military and federal law enforcement officials patrol the streets of the country’s capital after activating security guards Marines In Los Angeles earlier this year.
Taken together, the actions fear Democrats and Trump will use authority in his office to intimidate his political opponents and integrate power in ways unprecedented in American history.
Brendan Nyhan, a political scientist at Dartmouth University, said: “For anyone who has read history books, this picture is pretty clear to everyone how we handle the management.”
Past election surveys are Trump’s focus
Trump has begun his second term We forgive over 1,500 people Person convicted of a crime Attack on January 6, 2021 In US Capitol. Meanwhile, his Department of Justice was fired Some federal prosecutors who pursued these cases have included some of the prosecutors.. Attorney General Pam Bondy ordered a Big Ju Judge To investigate the origins of his 2016 campaign investigation Connection with Russiaand Trump called out to her department. Examine former Democratic President Barack Obama.
Government Watchdog Agency has opened Jack Smith’s InvestigationSpecial Prosecutor who investigated Trump’s efforts Overturning the 2020 election results and Categorized Documents Hidden in his Florida estate. In these cases it was Among some who defeated Trump A few years between his presidential terms including the New York fraud case and Election interference claim In Georgia Democratic prosecutor In Fulton County.
All of those investigations led him to claim that Democrats had Weaponized the government To him.
“They’re a great example of how they’re doing,” said Stephen Salzberg, a former Justice Department official who is a professor of law at George Washington University.
On Friday, Trump used government powers in other ways to promote his goals.
Trump failed Independent Federal Reserve Management. Trump after his housing director claimed that one of the central bank governors committed a mortgage fraud She demanded that she resign or be fired. He also announced that Chicago could be the next city to be targeted for military deployments.
Trump sees himself as the “highest law enforcement officer.”
Vice President JD Vance denied in a television interview that Bolton was targeted for criticism of Trump.
“If there’s no crime here, we’re not going to prosecute it,” Vance told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Friday.
Trump told staff he didn’t know beforehand about Bolton’s search, but emphasized that he had authority over all prosecutions.
“I’ve learned about it, and I might be the one to start it,” the president told reporters. “I’m actually the highest law enforcement officer.”
Bolton Occupies a special place in the ranks of Trump critics. The longtime GOP Foreign Policy Hawk wrote a book published in 2020 after Trump fired him the previous year. The first Trump administration pleaded to block the release of the book and launched an investigation into the large ju court. Both were suspended by the Biden administration.
Bolton landed on the list of 60 former officials created by Kash Patel, now director of the FBI, and he portrayed it as a tally of the “deep state of the administrative division.” Critics warned that it was there “An enemy list.” When Trump took office in January, his administration Security details have been revoked It was assigned to Bolton, facing Iranians The threat of assassination.
The FBI is currently investigating Bolton for potentially misclassified information, according to people familiar with issues that are not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation. In contrast, Trump denounced Search for FBI In 2022, he owns Mar-A-Lago resort.
Retaliation from judges to the military is extensive
Trump is also targeting agencies that denied him.
The president issued an order Except for a few law firms It had been involved in lawsuits against him or his allies, or hired his enemies from doing business with the federal government. Trump Reduce transactions with several other companies Do free legal work rather than face penalties. He has Target University for Fund reduction If they do not follow his administration’s orders.
His administration submitted judiciary Fraudulent behavior complaints Trump officials against a judge who found it likely committed criminal contense by ignoring his order to turn around the planes carrying people sent to Salvador’s infamous prisons.
Action is one of the steps that appears to be enhanced. Trump’s Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses has it Several military leaders have been fired Are they perceived as a critic of the president? It’s faithful enoughand the government was in power earlier this week. Security clearance has been cancelled of about 30 current and former national security officials.
“That’s what he promised,” said Justin Levitt, a former Justice Department official who is a law professor at Loyola Marymount University and a Biden White House staffer. “When no one says to them, that’s what the bully does.”
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Associated Press Writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
