Donald Trump signs: Trump releases unprecedented political retribution at the White House in the first 100 days
Hours after being sworn in on January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the attorney general to investigate whether the Department of Justice and other federal agencies have shown signs of political “weaponization”. On the same day, Pentagon officials deleted General Vogt Milley, General Mark Milley, and former chairman of the former chief of staff during Trump’s first term. That’s not all.
Later that night, Trump revoked Secret Service protections from his former national security adviser John Bolton, who wrote a memoir criticizing Trump – following the Justice Department’s decision that Bolton no longer needs protection despite Iran’s earlier threats.
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During his first 100 days in office, Trump used presidential power to target a wide variety of opponents. These include former intelligence officials who investigated allegedly with his 2016 election campaign and major law firms and former former members and prosecutors of the Biden administration who were in power.
How Trump uses his first 100 days to punish enemies
“It is not uncommon for presidents to have enemies,” said Reuters. “It is unusual that presidents use the entire federal government, not just to exclude someone, but to punish them directly.”
Trump clearly uses execution orders (usually used to guide policy guidance) to target individuals he considers an opponent. These actions include revoking security permits, limiting access to federal buildings and directing government agencies to investigate its critics.
After a public disagreement with the state’s governor, he conducted several federal investigations in Maine and intervened in the typical independent Justice Department to remove officials he believed were unfaithful and to withdraw protective security details from prominent critics. In addition, he ordered inquiries to former officials who made claims about the stolen election in 2020 for his unfounded claims.
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On his first day in office, Trump revoked security permits from 50 former national security officials who signed a letter hinting at Russia’s involvement in the controversy surrounding Hunter Biden’s laptop, the son of President Joe Biden – no evidence of Russian relations was found.
He also removed permission from all three Democratic opponents he faced in the presidential election: Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris.
Trump has provided considerable attention to the criminal justice system, alleging that his multiple prosecutions were politically motivated in his 2024 campaign – when President Biden’s administration denied his lawsuit.
Within the first 100 days of his administration, the Justice Department dismissed or demoted dozens of officials, prosecutors and FBI agents, including some involvement in investigations related to Trump and the January 6, 2021, Capitol Riot.
In a speech at the Justice Department headquarters in February, Trump condemned the so-called “lie and abuse” behind Jack Smith, a special counsel who illegally retained confidential documents and tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
White House spokesman Harrison Fields answered questions about whether Trump’s actions equal political retribution, “The traditional presidential period failed to bring meaningful change to Washington. The president is committed to demolishing deep-rooted bureaucracy. Using every constitutional tool available, the Trump administration focuses on efficiency, focusing it on waste, fraud and abuse, and abuse, and abuse, and abuse, and abuse, and campaigning, and campaigning, and campaigning, and abuse.’’
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Trump’s second term
During his first term, Donald Trump’s desire for retribution was often examined by his own appointees, many of whom were experienced bureaucrats or mainstream Republicans. But in stark contrast, his second administration was almost entirely occupied by loyalists willing to support his agenda without resistance. The Congress, now controlled by the Republican majority, has little inclination to challenge his decision.
Trump also worked to eliminate internal oversight, dismissing the inspector general and firing ethics officials who could limit his power.
“All governments are trying to guide the executive branch when power changes hands,” said Timothy Naftali, a former director of the Nixon Presidential Library. “The scale and intensity are different now, which is unprecedented.”
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President Nixon listed the enemy secrets and often faced resistance from his own team, but Trump adopted a more open and enterprising attitude. “Presidents usually have a quiet enemy,” said other presidents, such as Lyndon Johnson and George W. historian Jeremi Suri. “Trump is more direct.”
Fuzzy personal vendetta and policy
Trump is increasingly integrating personal resentment with policy decisions. In February, he broke away from Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills from a meeting with the governor to oppose the ban on trans athletes.
“See you in court,” Mills replied.
Within 24 hours, three federal agencies conducted an investigation into Maine, threatening its federal funding. The Justice Department sent a letter to Mills, “notifying” the state, and Trump asked for a public apology before considering the resolution.
By early April, agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed that some school funds had been frozen. “It’s just the beginning,” she warned. A few days later, the education department moved to all federal schools for aid, and the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the state.
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Trump has also followed law firms that have been linked to critics in recent months. In February, he revoked the security permit of Covington & Burling’s attorney, which once represented special counsel Jack Smith and tried to cancel its government contract. He even joked that he would sign the pen he used to sign the order to Smith.
Trump has issued executive orders against five other law firms, often with past associations with figures like Robert Mueller. A total of nine companies have reached settlements with the government, agreeing to provide nearly $1 billion in unpaid work on approved projects.
Solve old scores
Trump also turned his attention to former officials who crossed him in his first term. This month, he ordered the Justice Department to investigate his former rehabilitation chief Christopher Krebs, who publicly debunked Trump’s 2020 election fraud claims, while former Homeland Security official Miles Taylor, an anonymous book, published in 2019, The Books of Criticism of Trump.
Trump calls Taylor a “traitor”, “If you want to know the truth, I think he committed treason, but we’ll find out.”
Taylor fired on social media: “Dispute is not illegal. It is certainly not a treason.”
(with Reuters input)
