Retribution Presidency in Action
Donald Trump ran for office vowing revenge against the people he said had done him wrong. Now, in his second term, he seems to be fulfilling that promise. From probing political rivals to sending troops into American cities, his government’s actions are stoking fears of a record-setting grab for power.
The FBI last week also raided the residence of John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser who has become a critic and last week referred to the current administration as “the retribution presidency.” The action was alongside probes into high-profile Democrats such as New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought a case of alleged fraud against Trump’s company, and Senator Adam Schiff, who oversaw Trump’s first impeachment.
Local officials also got caught up in the dragnet. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a Democrat, was arrested, and Congresswoman LaMonica McIver is charged with something related to an immigration protest. Even former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is now a candidate for the mayoral election in New York, is the target of federal investigation.
Targeting Critics and Institutions
Trump’s system of justice has expanded its sweep from political opponents to embrace former friends. Miles Taylor, a Department of Homeland Security staffer who penned a book cautioning about the authoritarian tendencies of Trump, and Chris Krebs, who testified under oath to the integrity of the 2020 election, are both being investigated.
Critics describe this wave of prosecutions as falling in line with Trump’s promised agenda of revenge for the various criminal charges filed against him during his time outside office. While some of those charges including his attempts to flip the 2020 election were largely nullified by the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity, Trump has struck back, charging Democrats once “weaponised” government against him. Now, he maintains, he is restoring “law and order.”
But his sweep of actions goes far beyond people. His administration has excluded law firms connected to his critics from federal contracts, required universities to comply with his instructions or lose funding, and lodged misconduct charges against judges who were critical of his policies.
Even the Federal Reserve has not been out of his grasp. When his housing secretary accused one of the Fed governors of mortgage fraud, Trump called for her ouster, another instance of his campaign to tighten his control over the independent central bank.
Military Power and Fear of Authoritarianism
In addition to legal wars, Trump has relied on military might to assert his power. Washington is patrolled by thousands of National Guard troops and federal agents, and earlier this year he mobilized Marines and Guardsmen in Los Angeles. He has already threatened Chicago will be next.
The mobilization of troops along with mass prosecutions has spooked political analysts. “You add the threat of prosecution to armed troops on the streets, and the image is clear,” cautioned Brendan Nyhan, a Dartmouth College political scientist. “History has taught us where this is headed.”
Additionally solidifying grip, Trump’s defense secretary Pete Hegseth has rejected military commanders considered not loyal enough and stripped dozens of current and former national security officials of their security clearances.
A Cycle of Payback
For Trump’s base, it is the realization of campaign promises. For opponents, it is the meeting of the defining feature of an authoritarian takeover. Trump has pardoned more than 1,500 individuals convicted in the January 6 Capitol attack since he returned to office, replaced prosecutors who actively pursued those cases, and initiated investigations into individuals from former President Barack Obama to Special Counsel Jack Smith.
John Bolton, a thorn in Trump’s side for so long, is now the target of the FBI. Bolton’s previous warnings, books, and status as a Republican hawk have earned him a place on what critics have labelled Trump’s “enemies list.”
“It’s what he promised,” declared Justin Levitt, a former Justice Department official now teaching law at Loyola Marymount University. “It’s what bullies do when nobody says ‘No.’
The message is clear, Trump is employing the apparatus of government to get revenge, remake institutions, and consolidate his grip on power leaving pressing questions about the prospects for American democracy.
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