President Trump is ramping up his so-called “revenge tour,” using his political influence to target his adversaries, threaten federal investigations, and push for retribution against the media. With the election behind him, Trump continues to wage war against those he perceives as enemies, making clear that his return to power would be marked by a dramatic expansion of executive authority to punish dissent.
After winning the election last year, Trump said he wouldn’t seek vengeance against his political opponents despite making many threatening comments about his perceived enemies on the campaign trail.
“I’m not looking to go back into the past,” Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in December. “I’m looking to make our country successful. Retribution will be through success.”
Now, a month later, Trump’s administration has dropped all pretense and is using the powers of the state to attack his political opponents, threatening federal investigations of Democratic officials and attempting to silence dissent by banning media organizations that don’t conform to the president’s agenda.
Weaponizing the State
Trump has repeatedly vowed to use the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other federal agencies to investigate and prosecute political rivals. At rallies and in social media posts, he has singled out figures such as President Joe Biden, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and various prosecutors who have pursued legal cases against him.
Now, Trump is trying to use the FBI and DOJ to reopen investigations into past political foes, including former officials who criticized him or were involved in his impeachment proceedings.
“Anyone listening to Donald Trump during the campaign and knowing his background of distortion and untruth had to see it coming. Retribution for Donald Trump is like breathing for him,” Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said. “We warned about it and now it’s here, so we just need to fight it.”
Threats Against the Media
The press has long been a target of Trump’s ire, but his latest rhetoric suggests a more aggressive approach than ever before. In recent speeches, Trump has called for expanded defamation laws to make it easier to sue news organizations and has suggested using federal agencies to crack down on media outlets that publish unfavorable coverage.
Trump has specifically attacked major networks such as CNN and MSNBC, accusing them of spreading “fake news” and “election lies.” His allies have also hinted at revoking broadcast licenses and increasing government oversight of social media platforms that have previously banned or restricted Trump.
The White House has already barred the Associated Press from White House events because it refuses to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” and determining which news outlets can regularly cover Trump up close, shattering decades of precedent that one expert called a “dangerous move for democracy.”